Truck driver using GPS damages historic covered bridge

CORNISH, N.H. – A truck driver using a GPS navigation system drove an oversized box truck through an historic covered bridge that connects New Hampshire and Vermont, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Police say the driver was unfamiliar with the area and went through the Cornish-Windsor bridge, which has a posted 9-feet-2-inch (2.8 metre) clearance, Thursday morning.

The Valley News reports the truck hit a number of trusses and damaged the facade of the Vermont side of bridge.

The bridge was built in 1866 and is nearly 450 feet (137 metres) long. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The driver was cited with failure to obey traffic signals.

Police Chief Doug Hackett says following GPS “doesn’t mean you don’t have to follow posted signs.”