Indiana woman collapses bridge after misjudging weight limit

PAOLI, Ind., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- An Indiana woman attempted to drive a 30-ton truck over a bridge with a 6 ton weight limit, causing the bridge to collapse.

Mary Lambright, 23, was attempting to drive a 53-foot box trailer carrying 43,000 pounds of bottled water across the bridge to a Wal-Mart at the time of the accident. She later admitted to Orange County Indiana Law Enforcement that she was unaware that the weight of the truck in pounds exceeded the bridge's limit of 6 tons.

She was forced to attempt crossing the bridge after missing an exit and finding herself unable to turn the vehicle around at a nearby parking filled with heavy machinery.

Lambright, accompanied by her seventeen-year-old cousin, attempted to cross the bridge, which she had previously traveled across in her own personal vehicle, despite signs reading "no semis, weight limit six tons."

The truck's trailer was also taller than the top of the bridge and began to rip apart as she entered. After traveling a short distance the bridge collapsed due to the weight of the truck.

Neither Lambright nor her cousin were injured but Lambright faces charges of reckless operation of a tractor-trailer, disregarding a traffic control device and driving overweight on a posted bridge.