More than 100 vehicles have crashed into a low bridge in Durham, N.C., since 2008. Jürgen Henn tracks it all on his website, 11foot8.com. Photo: Jürgen Henn/11foot8.com 
 
 DURHAM, N.C.—A height sensor on the street detected impending doom here last month. Yellow lights began flashing a block away. The danger: A Budget rental truck barging down the road wasn’t going to get under the railroad overpass. 
 
 The truck ignored the warning. It rumbled underneath. Its roof did not. 
 
 The train bridge’s underside trimmed... ||||| Why is the bridge so low? 
 
 This train trestle is about 100 years old. At the time when it was built, there were no standards for minimum clearance.. 
 
 How often do trucks crash into the bridge? 
 
 On average, about once a month a truck gets visibly damaged at the bridge. However, every day I see trucks that trip the overheight warning lights, stop and turn into the side street. 
 
 Why don’t they fix it? 
 
 Depends on who “they” are and on what “fix” means. 
 
 The North Carolina Railroad Company owns the train trestle, and their concern is primarily with keeping the trains running and keeping them running safely. So their concern is mainly with reducing the impact of the truck crashes on the actual structure of the train trestle. As far as they are concerned, they solved that problem by installing the crash beam. 
 
 The city of Durham has installed “low clearance” signs on each of the 3 blocks leading up to the trestle (Gregson is a one-way road). There is a sensor that triggers an LED blackout warning sign when In overheight vehicle approaches the trestle (more info below). Several blocks ahead of the trestle the speed limit is 25 MPH. The folks from the city planning department said that they made an effort to prevent accidents. 
 
 The North Carolina Dept. of Transportation maintains the road, but not the signage. I suspect they have much bigger problems to deal with statewide than this bridge. 
 
 Is the clearance signage accurate? 
 
 The clearance signage displays a maximum safe clearance – and yes, in that sense it is accurate. The actual clearance of the crash beam right in front of the trestle is 11 feet 10.8 inches, which gives it a 2.8 inch safety margin. The MUTCD allows for a maximum of 3 inches difference between the signage and the actual clearance. 
 
 Metric, please! 
 
 Would this situation be better if the signage were metric? Well … take a look at his website: 2m40.com (Warning: French. Metric) 
 
 For the convenience of our metric-only audience, here are the measurements we’re talking about in Meters: 
 
 11foot8 (11 feet 8 inches) = 3.556 meters 
 
 11 feet 10.8 inches = 3.627 meters 
 
 Safety margin: 7.1 cm (at the crest of the road) 
 
 Can’t the road be lowered? 
 
 That would be prohibitively expensive because a sewer main runs just a few feet below the road bed. That sewer main also dates back about a hundred years and, again, at the time there were no real standards for minimum clearance for railroad underpasses. 
 
 Can’t the bridge be raised? 
 
 Here, too, the question is who would want to pay the millions of dollars to raise the tracks a couple of feet? To accomplish this, the grade of the tracks would have to changed on both sides of the trestle, probably for several miles. That would require rebuilding all trestles in Durham. And NS would have to shut down this busy track for months. I don’t think they are interested in that idea. 
 
 Is the signage adequate? 
 
 The signage is good, and the vast majority of truck drivers notice the problem and avoid the bridge. Large signs alert driver to the low clearance several blocks before the bridge. Half a block before the trestle, a sensor detects overheight vehicles and triggers an LED blackout warning sign that was installed in May 2016. That same sensor also triggers a red-light phase at the traffic light directly in front of the trestle (installed in March 2016), so the driver has 50 seconds to read the warning sign next to the red traffic light and consider their next move. 
 
 Should there be more signage? 
 
 It’s hard to see how more “low-clearance” signs will significantly improve the situation. 
 
 Could they install a low-clearance bar? 
 
 A low clearance bar is a bar suspended by chains ahead of the bridge. Overheight vehicles hit that bar first and the noise alerts the driver to to the problem. I understand that this approach has been successful in other places, but it’s not practical here. There are many overheight trucks that have to be able to drive right up to the bridge and turn onto Peabody St. in order to deliver supplies to several restaurants. Making Peabody St inaccessible from Gregson St would make the restaurant owners and the delivery drivers very unhappy. 
 
 Are the drivers stupid? 
 
 No idea. They certainly seem distracted and the rental truck drivers are also probably inexperienced. 
 
 Will insurance cover the damages? 
 
 Most truck rental insurance policies specifically exclude overhead damage from coverage. However, a good auto insurance or liability insurance might pick up the tab. Check with your agent. Or even better – don’t hit the bridge! 
 
 What is the location of the 11foot8 bridge? 
 
 201 Gregson St in Durham, NC (intersection with Peabody St) Link to Google maps 
 
 Any other questions? 
 
 If you have any truck-crash-related questions that are not covered here, post them below. ||||| One father is describing one night in August as "terrifying." That night, his family was caught in a drawbridge accident when the bridge started to open. NBC10's Cydney Long spoke to the family about the ordeal. 
 
 A family heading to Cape May, New Jersey, found themselves in an improbable situation earlier this month when a drawbridge lifted right underneath their car and they were forced to jump the opening. 
 
 Terence Naphys, after paying the $1.50 toll at the Middle Thorofare Bridge that connects the Wildwoods and Cape May via Ocean Drive, was heading across the bridge when a steel metal grate suddenly lifted 3 to 6 feet underneath his car, Naphys told Lower Township police. 
 
 Naphys was in the car with his wife, his daughter and his daughter's friend, and he was worried his Toyota RAV4 would fall the 65 feet down into the water. So he accelerated and jumped the gap. 
 
 "It's scary what's going through your mind," said the New Jersey resident. "We could have all landed in the water." 
 
 Family Forced to Jump Over Opening Drawbridge 
 
 A New Jersey family was driving across a Cape May County drawbridge when it opened in front of them. They were forced to jump the gap. (Published Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017) 
 
 The car landed on the other side of the bridge and the family was able to drive away without any injuries. But Naphys said his SUV sustained $10,000 in damage that included a bent suspension. 
 
 A commercial fishing vessel was trying to pass under the bridge, and its radio communication was down, officials said. The bridge operator could not contact the large boat. 
 
 The operator later told police he was blinded by a sun glare when he checked the bridge for cars, expecting Naphys' vehicle to clear in time. 
 
 The bridge was built in 1940 and needs as much as $200 million in repairs and renovations, according to Cape May County officials. 
 
 Investigators said the incident was an operator error and is under investigation by the Cape May County Bridge Commission. 
 
 Naphys isn't sure when he'll have the courage to cross a bridge again. 
 
 Lessie Brown, Believed to Be Oldest American, Dies at 114 
 
 Lessie Brown of Cleveland Heights, Ohio, died at the age of 114, according to family members. Brown was believed to be the oldest person living in the United States. (Published Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2019) 
 
 "I will never ever drive that bridge or probably any drawbridge again," he said. ||||| Two Wisconsin natives are under investigation after they filmed themselves scaling San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge, performing somersaults and hanging from cables over cars below. 
 
 The heart-stopping video posted last week by Peter Teatime shows him and Tommy Rector as they climbed vertical steel suspension ropes until they reached a flat surface on the bridge’s steel beams. 
 
 One climber appeared to be holding on to the cables as they sprinted toward one of the bridge’s main towers. The climber then stepped one foot off the beam and held on to the cable with one hand as his body hung over the bridge. The video follows the friends as they scaled a series of stairs, performed somersaults and back flips and hung their bodies off the bridge. 
 
 “Guys, we’ve just made it to the top,” one teen says in the video. “This is incredible, to be honest. This is so beautiful up here.” 
 
 More than a month after the death-defying stunt was performed, Golden Gate officials say they have launched an investigation and are planning to beef up security on the bridge. 
 
 A climber scales the Golden Gate Bridge. (Peter Teatime) 
 
 ‘Let’s give it a try’ 
 
 Teatime, an 18-year-old high school student, told The Times he and Rector were visiting friends in San Francisco for spring break in early April when they decided on “just a whim” to climb the bridge. 
 
 The teen said he and Rector came to a simple understanding: “Let’s give it a try.” 
 
 Although the Milwaukee resident could not recall the date of the stunt, he said it was about 3 a.m. when he and Rector began scaling the ropes and steel beam. They were on the bridge for about an hour, he said. 
 
 The climb up the bridge was filled with obstacles such as strong winds, mist, fog and slippery conditions, he said. 
 
 Teatime, who has been climbing all his life, said he wasn’t afraid because he has climbed taller structures before. During the ascent, he said, he maintained focus and concentration. 
 
 “It was an amazing experience,” Teatime said. “You can see all of San Francisco and all of the city’s lights.” 
 
 Once they reached the top of the bridge, Teatime said, the friends decided to perform somersaults and hang their bodies to add another level of thrill to the climb. Teatime said they were mindful of the cars below and the risk they posed to those vehicles. 
 
 Before performing a stunt, he said, they made sure the road was clear. 
 
 “We weren’t bothering anybody,” Teatime said. 
 
 Peter Teatime and Tommy Rector take a selfie on top of the Golden Gate Bridge. (Peter Teatime) 
 
 ‘Golden Gate Bridge is not an amusement park ride’ 
 
 Golden Gate Bridge officials said the climbers could have posed a danger to motorists if one of them had fallen. 
 
 “Their behavior could have harmed motorists below,” said Capt. Lisa Locati, who leads the Golden Gate Bridge patrol. 
 
 Golden Gate Bridge officials became aware of the stunt a week and a half ago when they saw the video online, authorities said. Authorities don’t know how the climbers got access to the bridge since their visit didn’t trigger any alarms. 
 
 “The Golden Gate Bridge is not an amusement park ride,” said Denis Mulligan, general manager of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District. “It is vital public infrastructure and it's a symbol of our community.” 
 
 The bridge was not damaged or harmed by the climbers, he said. 
 
 Authorities are now looking at ways to safeguard the bridge as well as to boost security to ensure similar acts don’t occur in the future, Locati said. 
 
 Locati said the bridge’s security system was “not designed to protect thrill-seekers from harming themselves.” 
 
 A climber hangs off the ropes over the Golden Gate Bridge. (Peter Teatime) 
 
 Climbers could be slapped with trespassing charge 
 
 The California Highway Patrol is investigating the stunt and the climbers could face misdemeanor trespassing charges and fines, said Mulligan, the bridge’s general manager. 
 
 Additionally, other steps could be taken against the climbers. 
 
 Mulligan said a man who tried to climb the bridge four years ago was placed on a no-fly list and lost his job, which required him to fly, he said. 
 
 Teatime said he respects law enforcement officials and wasn’t trying to stir up any trouble. 
 
 “We weren’t doing anything wrong,” he said. 
 
 The teenager said he is willing to work with authorities to show them how he got access to the bridge, so they can improve security. 
 
 “I would definitely discourage anybody from climbing the Golden Gate Bridge,” Teatime said. 
 
 He said the climb was a one-time deal. 
 
 “I don’t think I need to do it again,” he said. 
 
 A climber scales the Golden Gate Bridge. (Peter Teatime)
– There are signs and warning lights that flash. But, still, box trucks, campers, and other tall vehicles keep taking on the notoriously low railroad bridge at Peabody and Gregson streets in Durham, NC. And they keep losing. The bridge has shaved the tops off of more than 100 vehicles since 2008, and Jürgen Henn has captured it all on video, the Wall Street Journal reports. "It can be pretty spectacular," he says. Henn works in a building near the bridge. After witnessing several accidents, he says, "I figured I’d keep track of it for a while." He aimed a security camera at the bridge. Then added a second camera on a building across the street, along with an infrared camera to capture nighttime wrecks. Some of his videos have more than a million views, per the Journal. You can buy "crash art" and T-shirts on his website. The bridge, which offers 11-feet-8-inches of clearance, was built about a century ago, according to Henn. During the intervening decades, the Journal notes, vehicles have gotten taller. Today, minimum vertical clearance for a bridge is 14 feet. Since 2008, there have been no fatalities due to the Durham bridge and just one minor injury, the state transportation department tells the Journal, but there has been a toll: more than $500,000 in vehicle damage. Each time the bridge is bashed—about once a month, Henn says—inspectors check it for damage, according to an earlier report by WRAL. To curb crashes, the city installed a height sensor that triggers flashing lights when a truck is too high to clear the span. Since the accidents keep happening, the city is now connecting that sensor with a traffic light in hopes drivers who are forced to stop will eventually figure out that their best bet is to turn before slamming into the bridge. (Another span making headlines? One inspired by da Vinci.)