Nearly 40 Trucks Have Hit Radnor's KOP Bridge Since 2008: Police

RADNOR, PA – Last week, a truck struck the underpass that spans King of Prussia Road in the Wayne section of Radnor Township. The 10-foot, 10-inch bridge carries Amtrak and SEPTA trains, but is likely better known for being struck by box trucks, tractor trailers, and other large vehicles. Now Radnor officials are looking for solution to the persistent problem.

The bridge has been hit 37 times by trucks between 2008 and 2017, according to Radnor Township Police. Police said those incidents are what they describe as major incidents where Amtrak crews are called in to assess the bridge's structure and any potential damage.

Overall, police said there have been 96 incidents where the bridge was hit in some way between 2008 and 2017. That includes the major truck strikes described above and smaller-scale incidents, such as a car scraping the underpass wall, according to police.

In 2017, Patch has reported on at least four incidents involving a vehicle striking the underpass.

The first was in April when a truck hauling a backhoe did not know the backhoe was too tall for the clearance.

The backhoe tipped after hitting the bridge and struck another car that was heading south on King of Prussia Road, police said.

On Nov. 16, a tractor trailer was unable to clear the underpass and the crash resulted in plants being strewn across the road and the truck later catching fire.

Then on Dec. 4, a truck with HVAC equipment tried to navigate the underpass, but the truck was about 13 feet tall, well over the clearance height.

Police said the truck had the roof of its box torn off in the crash, and that its fuel tank was punctured.

And most recently on Dec. 21 a truck hit the bridge. Police said the driver is familiar with the route, but was driving a different and larger truck than he typically operates.

Radnor Township Commissioner Richard Booker said the board was eyeing imposing increased fines for truck that strike the bridge following the Dec. 4 crash.

While the board weighs potentially higher fines, the Radnor Police Department has been looking at a possible technological solution via an over-height vehicle detection system. Such systems detect the vehicle height using laser sensors then warn drivers with sound or visual signals when their vehicles won't clear the bridge.

However, the cost of implementing such a system is out of the township's scope as it comes to about $100,000. Authorities are unsure of where that funding could come from, if it comes at all.

Police are working with PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Truckers Association to alert drivers to the bridge's clearance height to avoid more incidents.

Images via Radnor Township Police