If you’ve ever driven a box truck, a moving van, or anything with a ladder rack and felt a little nervous rolling under a low bridge, you’re not alone. Bridge strikes happen more often than most people realize, and this latest one, just north of Des Moines, is a solid reminder of why that “clearance” sign is not a suggestion.
Just before 6 p.m. on Friday, July 17, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office started fielding calls about an accident in the 440 block of Northwest Second Street, according to Who 13 Des Mois. When deputies arrived, they found a vacuum/pumper truck that had tried to squeeze under a railroad bridge with a clearance of 13 feet, 4 inches. The truck lost that argument, and so did the bridge.
The east side of the bridge collapsed after the impact. The truck, somehow still driveable, kept going north and pulled over at the next intersection. Remarkably, no injuries were reported, which is about the best outcome you can hope for when a commercial vehicle and a century-old piece of railroad infrastructure decide to have a disagreement.
The truck belongs to Midwest Vac Professionals, and as of this writing, the company hasn’t been reachable for comment. We’ll update if that changes, but for now the story is pretty straightforward: a truck met a bridge it wasn’t supposed to meet.
Union Pacific Is on the Case
The bridge is owned and operated by Union Pacific, and a spokesperson for the railroad, Mike Jaixen, confirmed that crews were already working the scene. According to Jaixen, the plan is to have the bridge restored within the next few days.
That’s a quick turnaround for structural repairs, and it says something about how railroads treat these bridge strikes as a routine, if unwelcome, part of doing business. Trains still need to run, so there’s not much time to waste standing around scratching heads.
The Road Closure You’ll Want to Avoid
Northwest Second Street is closed between Northeast Aurora Avenue and Northeast Broadway Avenue while repairs continue. If you’re in the area, the posted detour sends you along Aurora to U.S. Highway 69, then over to Broadway and back down to Second Street.
Not the most scenic route, but it beats trying to thread the needle through an active repair zone.
Why These Things Keep Happening
Low clearance bridges are notorious for catching drivers off guard, especially with rental trucks, work trucks, or anything that’s been modified with extra equipment on the roof or bed. The height might change without the driver even realizing it. A vacuum or pumper truck, in particular, often carries tall tanks and hardware that can push it well above what a driver might expect. It’s a good excuse to double check the specs before pulling out, especially if you’re driving something you don’t normally drive.
Because the roadway is part of Iowa Highway 415, the Iowa DOT is also involved in the investigation, though they haven’t been reachable for comment yet either.