For the 71st time since 2018, the historic Robert Coffin Bridge in Long Grove has been struck by a vehicle, witnesses reported Wednesday.
The large box truck sporting the name of GreenGrids solar company was photographed by witnesses Wednesday evening trapped under the bridge after the top of the vehicle struck the bridge’s canopy struts.
Workers were photographed seemingly letting the air out of the tires in an effort to move the vehicle out from underneath.
In a second photo obtained by the Lake & McHenry County Scanner, two Lake County Sheriff’s deputy vehicles block the roadway while the Chevrolet truck rests under the bridge with what looks to be damage to the top of the vehicle.
It’s unclear if a tow truck was needed to assist the box truck from being removed.
Records show this was the 71st time the bridge has been struck by a vehicle since 2018.
Previously, a bus carrying persons with disabilities struck the bridge at 12:05 p.m. on November 14.
In that incident, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and Long Grove Fire Protection District were called to the scene for the vehicle crash after a 911 caller reported the bus carrying special needs students had struck the bridge.
No one was injured in the incident, authorities said.
The 69th hit came after a white pickup truck pulling a large trailer struck the bridge and left the scene on October 9.
The bridge was also previously hit in June when a box truck’s roof struck the bridge canopy.
The damage to the roof of the vehicle was clearly noticeable during that incident, witnesses said.
The bridge was hit on May 20 when a box truck belonging to Northwest Trucks Inc. in Palatine attempted to drive onto the bridge, at which point it abruptly struck the bridge canopy.
The truck became wedged under the bridge canopy and the driver attempted to reverse out.
A deputy in a Lake County sheriff’s squad car that arrived on scene with its lights activated used his intercom to tell the driver, “Stop, it’s not moving.”
The driver initially attempted to lower the air pressure in the tires, but it was unsuccessful and a tow truck was called to remove the truck.
The bridge was blocked for approximately three hours during the May 20 incident.
Before that, a white Toys for Tots box truck struck the bridge on December 20 of 2024, but did not get stuck and was able to reverse.
A small truck carrying an oversized, vertically stacked load struck the top girders of the bridge on October 30, 2024.
Surveillance video showed the truck’s oversized load hitting the top of the bridge before stopping and immediately reversing to free itself.
“There are numerous signs informing drivers of the height restriction and signs prohibiting trucks and buses from using the bridge,” Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli has said previously.
The bridge, formerly known as the Long Grove Covered Bridge, was renamed in September 2022 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.