A driver was cited after an Amazon truck hit the historic bridge in Long Grove on Sunday. Police say it marks the 45th time the bridge has been hit.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 7:40 p.m. Sunday to Robert Parker Coffin Road and Schaeffer Road in Long Grove, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli.
An Amazon truck was reported to have struck the Robert Parker Coffin Bridge and was stuck under it.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived and spoke to the driver, Enrique Rivera, 24, of Hanover Park.
Rivera said he thought his truck would meet the height clearance, Covelli said.
A towing agency responded and removed the truck from the bridge. The roadway was closed for about an hour.
There was no structural damage to the bridge from the impact.
Rivera was cited for disobeying a traffic control device and driving a prohibited vehicle over the bridge.
“There are numerous signs informing drivers of the height restriction and signs prohibiting trucks and busses from using the bridge,” Covelli said.
This was the 45th time the bridge has been struck in recent years.
In September, a 15-foot white Chevrolet box truck hit the bridge.
The truck was traveling eastbound on Robert Parker Coffin Road from Route 53 when it struck the bridge’s canopy.
The bridge suffered visible damage. The truck’s windshield was shattered, the cab was pushed downwards and the middle section of the truck was also damaged.
The truck reversed and parked on Schaeffer Road following the incident, which caused the bridge to be closed for several days.
The bridge was formerly named the Long Grove Covered Bridge.
It was renamed in September to the Robert Parker Coffin Bridge after Robert Parker Coffin, who designed the bridge cover.
The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In August 2020, the bridge was damaged by a school bus less than 24 hours after it had reopened following two years of repairs from a prior box truck crash.
That prior box truck crash caused substantial damage and nearly destroyed the bridge.