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"Basically it was a distracted driver incident," Officer Philip Salm told WPTV.
"The driver stated that he was looking at his GPS unit while driving across the bridge and did not see the stop arm in the down position until he crashed through it," Capt. Curtis Krauel told The Palm Beach Post. "He did not show any visible indicators of impairment."
Salm said lucky timing allowed Montano to make it over the gap and survive the accidental stunt.
"The implications of what could have happened, had he hit at a different time or he hit the ramp and went over the side, you're talking about a potentially fatal accident," Salm said.
Montano was cited for reckless driving. He and a passenger were treated for minor injuries, police said.
The bridge was closed for about five hours while crews worked to repair damage.