27.02.2014

A bridge too far

A van mounted lift tried to pass under a bridge that was simply too low and ended up on two wheels yesterday in Tonbridge, Kent, in the UK.
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The unit hit the low bridge at speed

The self-drive Versalift mounted on a Ford Transit chassis and owned by rental company PG Platforms was fully stowed but almost certainly too high for the low bridge. According to local reports it was driven at a fairly high speed into the 10ft 3’/3.1 metre high bridge, causing it to jam - although this may not actually have been the case.

UPDATE

The following has been received from PG:

"With reference to the bridge strike in Tonbridge yesterday I can confirm it was on a self-drive hire to a local street lighting contractor.

Reports back in to us are that the driver was actually trying to turn around using the side street next to the bridge. He went across the road at an angle to reverse back and in doing so he struck the metal beam in front of the bridge sideways on causing the machine to go up on to two wheels and causing no damage to the bridge.

We have the machine coming back today where we will have it checked over by the manufacture for any damage."