Roof peeled off box truck by overpass flies into interstate traffic, NH cops say
A vehicle traveling Interstate 89 in New Hampshire was smacked by “a large piece of metal” that proved to be the top of a box truck, according to the New Hampshire State Police.
The incident led investigators to arrest the driver of the truck, who is suspected of driving while intoxicated, state police said in a news release.
It happened around 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27, near Lebanon, and the motorist who collided with the debris escaped injury, officials said. Lebanon is about 55 miles northwest of Concord, New Hampshire.
“The responding trooper learned the piece of metal was the roof of a large box truck type commercial motor vehicle,” state police said.
“The operator of the commercial motor vehicle stopped briefly at the scene but left prior to troopers arriving,” police said. “The victim was able to provide a description of the vehicle as well as a license plate.”
A topless truck matching the description was spotted “a short time later” in Canaan, about 14 miles northeast of Lebanon, and the driver was stopped, state police said.
Questioning revealed he had been traveling at least a day with the truck’s roof only partially attached, officials say.
“The driver ... struck a bridge in New York the previous day, causing damage to the vehicle’s roof,” state police said.
“(He) continued to drive the damaged vehicle until the roof completely departed the vehicle on I-89 in Lebanon,” police said. “Troopers determined (he) was under the influence and arrested him.”
The driver — a 40-year-old man from Houston, Texas — was charged with “driving under the influence and conduct after an accident,” state police said.
New Hampshire’s Commercial Motor Vehicle Enforcement division confiscated the truck “for numerous safety violations,” including having “a false logbook,” police said.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 12:37 PM with the headline "Roof peeled off box truck by overpass flies into interstate traffic, NH cops say."