Railing in tyre stopped truck from falling off bridge
A green iron railing was the only thing that kept a flatbed truck from falling five storeys from a Regional Road bridge onto a road yesterday.
There are no crash barriers along the bridge where the accident happened and the retaining wall is made up of concrete pillars joined together by two green metal bars and a concrete slab on the top.
According to a Civil Protection Department official, one of the iron railings punctured the tyre on the driver’s side causing the truck to twist and preventing it from going over.
In fact, while the front passenger side protruded well out into mid-air, the driver’s side was closer to the road. This gave the two men on board the chance to escape through the window as other motorists held onto the back part of the truck to act as a counterbalance.
The owner of the aluminium company, Andrew Vassallo, who was on site, said the driver applied the brakes just before the first hump that marks the start of the bridge.
“The truck, which was carrying glass panes, skidded to one side and then bounced off to the other. The wet surface is already bad but the poor road finishing makes matters worse,” Mr Vassallo said.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
'No need for early election if PM's...
In Discussion
Updated - Jason Micallef demands...
Gozo tunnel could take 5-7 years to...
CABS remote controlled aircraft shot...
Carm Mifsud Bonnici resigns after...
Joseph Calleja condemns portrayal of...
Updated: Labour would give...
CABS drone shot down
Second group of migrants arrives
Adrian Vassallo in scathing...
21 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Joseph Vassallo
Jan 6th 2011, 20:52
@ Adrian Wirth et al: Sorry Adrian; I have to disagree because the picture lacks high resolution. When you enlarge the image everything goes out of focus, even the cab. You cannot determine that there is anything wrong with these tyres because you just cannot see enough detail.
victor rodenas
Jan 6th 2011, 18:15
There are no proper crash barriers,railings are not crash barriers.Suppose it was a mini bus full of school children?
Dr Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci
Jan 6th 2011, 15:52
Ansd what about the truck's speed????? and who is going to pay for the bridge repair?????
A Muscat
Jan 6th 2011, 12:36
I know exactly where this sensitive spot on the bridge is. It's a very poor expansion gap which is not level. I cringe every time I have to drive over it. Apart from wrecking car shock absorbers, it is an extreme safety hazard.
If the person responsible is reading this, please do something about it as soon as possible.
E. Azzopardi
Jan 6th 2011, 12:33
Everybody is blaming the roads, holes bumps etc, which of course is a fact. But, where the tyres of this van checked? Where they up to standard? That is only one aspect because there are others. But the tyres are so important. I have seen buses, vans etc with tyres having no tread at all and as thin as ice, and wonder of wonders life goes on in this country because nobody check these things. VRT IS NOT ENOUGH. So let us do our part first and not always point our fingers somewhere else.
Sandro Magri
Jan 6th 2011, 12:32
TM is busy installing speed cameras and making money out of fines than seeing the real dangers on the roads,there a big hump there were the bridge is joined to the street you have actually to stop to save a little your car.Also the concrete pillars there are all cracked and need replacemnt but as usual now something will start to move.
Adrian Wirth
Jan 6th 2011, 12:15
Save the picture then increase magnification to x400% - if what appears to be bald uneven thread tyres on both front wheels is proven then one trusts the proper authorities are investigating how the vehicle has obtained a VRT certificate and is presumably insured, amongst other road safety and safe driving considerations.
george farrugia
Jan 6th 2011, 12:14
The condition of the vehicle should also be inspected. 1000's of cars passed through the same stretch and carried out the same manouvers, but only one ended up on the brink of disaster. Accidents do not just happen, they are caused by humans. It is not unknown for owners of vehicles to ignore the most basic of safety rules. And commercial vehicles, in my experience, are the worst culprits.
Philip Sultana
Jan 6th 2011, 12:00
Bad roads, weak railings, spoiled environment, weak government, weak opposition, ineffective civil service, ill mannered people ... Malta I weep for you ...
D. A . Agius
Jan 6th 2011, 11:53
The issue is that first of all roads need to be properly surfaced on day one that they are made, and secondly, they need to be maintained.
We only hear about roads being rebuilt. Huge sections of the Regional Road, Coast road, the 180 degree bend in the middle of the hill at Targa Gap, Mosta and many others have a pretty even surface, but the grip has all gone away!
What they need is for the surface to be scarified and resurfaced (with good material) as these are arterial roads.
A case like yesterday ended up with the road being closed.
With the past month being characterised by extremely damp roads in the morning but no rain, this was an accident waiting to happen. If a driver, even with best condition tyres and all the electronic wizardry makes a small mistake, this is what happens.
I hope (with no harm intended) the next accident involves a minister's car or some other high ranking dignitary so that maybe this point arrives to the cabinet! We're expendable, that's the message we get.
Imbaghad tmur taqbez u tikkanvassja ghal wicchom!
K. Rizzo
Jan 6th 2011, 11:49
A tragedy waiting to happen!...and only out of sheer luck it hasn't yet!
-Poor slippery tarmac
-Slight curve in the road
-You got to brake because of the BIG BUMP in the bridges expansion gaps
-By braking you lift the rear end (therefore less pressure on rear wheels = less grip) while you have to turn for the bend
...before you know it your rear goes wide and you're a ping pong ball on a bridge...with no crash barriers!
...and if your tyres are not up to scratch and the road is wet...just makes matters WORSE!
Kevin Borg
Jan 7th 2011, 00:18
There is no bend there. And if you're going at a normal and decent speed, you only have to apply the brakes slightly to further reduce speed. And the BIG BUMP yes it's there all right, and it probably is the reason why many cars slow down, a good thing, as otherwise most drivers overspeed, as usual. Once I was passing from there, and I slowed down gradually to take the BIG BUMP easy, and the driver behind me went mad, flashing lights, sounding horn, overtaking me with gas pedal pressed hard, and shouting and gesturing wildly. Prize winning Moron.
A. Axisa
Jan 6th 2011, 11:20
I thank God for the lives of these two men...it could have been MUCH worse!
Ernest Vella
Jan 6th 2011, 11:15
mur gibu jaghmel is-silg x'jigri....toroq maghmulin hazin u sewwieqa fil-periklu...u l-licenzji joghlew...hekk sew
Kenneth Zammit
Jan 6th 2011, 11:01
What worries me is that you see many such critical elevated places with no crash barriers, or in some other places one finds just a very low thin wall, like the coast road's hill, or the Mellieha hill. I know its highly unlikely one goes over, but the one time it happens you're done!
So who is in authority of such, please take action!
Jesmond Micallef
Jan 6th 2011, 11:50
Good comment.
Maybe very specific areas should be indentified and the crashworthiness of the structure tested, somehow. Watching this news item yesterday on TV, I couldn't help notice the rusted steel within the concrete slab which ended below the bridge. Completely rusted steel within a concrete structure does not provide the necessary reinforcing strength, thats for sure. This one here is typical as the bridge goes over a road down below. Luckily enough here this accidental event did not propagate elsewhere, so yes, in this instance the accident was contained, but only just, I 'm afraid.
The keyword here is "crashworthiness".
Fenech MD
Jan 6th 2011, 14:57
L-ewwel irid imut xi hadd!
Peter Aquilina
Jan 6th 2011, 10:57
..................rather a matter of super "polished" sub-standard roads !!
victor pulis
Jan 6th 2011, 10:53
Those railings are not designed to stop cars from going over. I bet even a motorcycle could knock them down. ironically, according to the report, it was a metal pipe in the railings that stopped the truck from ending up in the middle of the road. In malta we sometimes learn after the accident happens. Logic is non existant. One need not jump from a cliff to discover that it's fatal.
C.Sammut
Jan 6th 2011, 10:42
Its also a matter of polished tyres with no road grip...
J Mallia
Jan 6th 2011, 11:43
Polished roads you mean !!