Garfield police warn truckers to be aware of height before heading through Passaic Street overpass
It says they should know the height of their truck before heading through the overpass on Passaic Street.
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Garfield police have issued an alert to all truck drivers making their way through town.
It says they should know the height of their truck before heading through the overpass on Passaic Street.
Box trucks are failing to make it through, even though the height of the bridge at Passaic Street is clearly posted at 11 feet.
Last Friday, was the most recent incident in which a box truck got stuck.
Drivers who are familiar with the height requirement know that they need to make the right turn onto Midland Avenue before reaching the bridge to avoid getting stuck.
However, police say that often out-of-state drivers are simply following the GPS and not staying alert to signage.
“It’s mostly out of state drivers following the GPS. The GPS leads them in that direction. They’re not really paying attention. It’s more driver inattention than anything,” says Capt. Mario Pozo, with Garfield police.
Business owners nearby who have witnessed several trucks getting stuck say the township might consider additional signage a block or more away from the crossing.
John Gilbert owns Jam Burger, which sits along Passaic Avenue. He’s seen several crashes.
“You’ll hear the crash the boom, and after one or two times of hearing it, you know exactly what it is. You’ll see a truck driving away with foam insulation and the steel ripped off, similar to a sardine can,” says Gilbert.
Juan Camacho owns All Nations Liquor just a few feet from the bridge.
"I would say there should be a sign way before that people can turn over instead of getting caught there,” said Camacho.
New Jersey Transit owns the bridge that crosses over Passaic Street.
A spokesman says that commuter service has never been interrupted due to a truck colliding with the bridge.
