If you’ve ever driven past a “LOW CLEARANCE” sign and felt a tiny flicker of anxiety, congratulations, you’re already more self-aware than one North Carolina truck driver who apparently spent an entire Tuesday afternoon turning New York State infrastructure into his personal pinball machine.
New York State Police confirmed this week that on March 18, 2026, a tractor-trailer hauling an oversized excavator on a flatbed trailer struck more than a dozen overpasses along approximately 60 miles of the westbound New York State Thruway, somewhere between Exits 30 and 36 in Central New York. The driver, 38-year-old Oleksander Tarakanovskyi of North Carolina, was eventually pulled over at a tandem lot in the town of Salina after Thruway Authority officials flagged the situation to troopers.
To be clear: the truck hit over twelve bridges. Over sixty miles. And kept going.
The Aftermath (Hint: 20 Traffic Tickets are Involved)
Troopers from SP Syracuse tracked down the 2019 Freightliner and conducted a traffic stop. Authorities determined that the majority of the overpasses sustained minor damage, while a handful came away with moderate damage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, no lanes were closed, and all overpasses remained open, though bridge inspections were ongoing at the time of the announcement.
Some readers have pointed out that, based on the images released by New York State Police, the excavator does not appear to show obvious signs of major damage. That has led to speculation that the impacts themselves must have been minimal.
New York State Police have since confirmed that the photos provided are of the actual truck and excavator involved in the incident. Even so, visible damage to the equipment is not a reliable indicator of what happened to the infrastructure. According to the New York State Thruway Authority, the overpasses sustained a range of minor to moderate damage, which is consistent with how bridge strikes are typically assessed. An excavator can appear relatively intact while still causing significant damage to bridge surfaces and protective coatings.
Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare didn’t exactly mince words in his statement, noting that how a commercial driver could remain unaware that his load was repeatedly hammering bridges over such a long stretch is, in his words, beyond comprehension. He’s got a point. Most people notice when they hit one thing. Twelve is more of a commitment.
He said, “Reckless and ignorant driver behavior has serious consequences. How a tractor-trailer driver could be unaware that his load hit more than a dozen bridges is beyond comprehension. We appreciate the support of our partners at State Police Troop T and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit in tracking down the vehicle and taking it off the road. Our team of inspectors has examined all of the impacted bridges, and while all continue to be safe, we will proceed with repairs as needed. While bridge hits plague states across the nation, we are committed to holding irresponsible drivers accountable.”
State Police Troop T Commander Major Brian T. Ferrone also weighed in, praising the swift response of his troopers and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit for getting the vehicle off the road before things got any worse or any more structurally compromised.
Tarakanovskyi was charged with reckless endangerment in the second degree and handed more than 20 traffic tickets covering a range of federal commercial motor vehicle safety violations. He was processed at SP Syracuse and released on an appearance ticket, with a court date set for April 8, 2026, in the Town of Salina Court.
Now, to be fair to heavy haulers everywhere, oversize load transport is genuinely complicated work. Route permits, height restrictions, pilot cars, the works. But when the road itself starts sending you feedback in the form of repeated loud crashes, that’s generally considered a sign to pull over and reassess. Not… continue for another 60 miles.
The New York Thruway Authority noted that bridge strikes are a persistent problem nationwide, and officials say they remain committed to holding drivers accountable when negligence puts public infrastructure and the people using it at risk.
As for the excavator on the back of that truck? It arrived at its destination, presumably. Whether any of the bridges it met along the way will send a card is unclear.