Truck bashes into side of river bridge
By BENJAMIN SHARP news@leader-news.com

When chunks of concrete began ricocheting off the front of Rosemary Williams' sportutility vehicle Monday afternoon, she feared the worst.

Just a few yards ahead, a truck hauling oilfield equipment had smashed into the side of the Colorado River bridge above Riverfront Park in Wharton. Pieces of the concrete structure were torn loose and sent hurtling towards Williams' vehicle.

The El Campo resident slammed on her brakes.

"Pieces were breaking off of it and flying at me. I saw the debris coming toward me. It was very scary," she said just moments afterwards.

The debris, though, stayed low to the ground. It struck the SUV in the front bumper, on the left side. And the oilfield equipment, attached by cable to the truck, never came loose. It came to rest in the middle of the bridge, blocking the southbound lanes.

Williams shuddered to ponder what could have happened had the equipment come loose and tumbled towards her - or had the debris struck her windshield instead of her bumper.

"I'm so grateful," she said.

Department of Public Safety officials said the crash occurred when the truck - owned by Victoria Well Service - tried to accommodate a passing car on the narrow two-lane bridge.

The truck driver "moved over to allow a car to pass him and took a chunk out of the bridge," DPS Sgt. Danny Terronez said.

Wharton firefighters arrived on scene, but were needed only for traffic control. Fire Chief Bobby Barnett was concerned over potential spills.

"There were no chemicals, no hazards," he said.

DPS Troopers David Chauvin and Mike Hubenak investigated the crash, which occurred around 6:30 p.m. Monday. Traffic remained blocked for hours as a Texas Department of Transportation engineer had to be brought to the scene to check the structural integrity of the bridge.

The engineer concluded the damage was only "cosmetic," according to Terronez. The bridge was reopened.

Terronez added the truck driver's permits were all in order. No citations were issued, though investigation is ongoing.