The Veterans Memorial Bridge (overpass) on College Street that crosses Broad Street is closed to traffic after a DeKalb County Landfill rollback garbage truck, with the lift up, struck the underneath of the bridge this morning. There was no dumpster on the truck at the time.
The driver of the 2013 Western Star truck, 54 year old Roger Chapman of Sparta, was injured and taken to St. Thomas DeKalb Hospital for treatment. Trooper T.J. Withers of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, told WJLE that Chapman was not seriously hurt. He suffered a few minor bumps, bruises, and cuts.
The accident caused major damage to the underside of the bridge and the truck was totaled. Chunks of concrete from the bridge fell onto the eastbound lanes of Broad Street. Traffic was routed to the other side of the highway during the crash investigation, cleanup, and inspection of the bridge by TDOT. Broad Street is now completely open but College Street at the bridge remains closed.
According to Trooper Withers, Chapman had just dropped off a dumpster prior to the accident but the roll back lift did not come down as he had thought.
In addition to the THP, members of the Smithville Police and Fire Departments were on the scene along with DeKalb EMS and the City of Smithville Public Works Department.
Chapman was cited by Smithville Police for speeding, traveling 57 miles per hour in a 40 mile per hour zone.
Archived News & Obituaries