2022 was another year of wins for the ‘Can Opener’

When a new year begins, it offers a moment to look back at the year that was. This got me thinking about a small fascination of mine – vehicle versus viaduct incidents where the P&L Railway spans Second Street in Central City.

Whenever a driver gets wedged under the railway bridge, my social media feed lights up with activity as people around town share their dismay at what seems like a fairly common occurrence. How do they miss the height restriction signs that begin warning drivers several blocks away, or the flashing lights on the bridge itself?

In October 2021, the city placed strips of flashing lights along the bridge. Central City Chief of Police Jason Lindsey said since adding the lights, there have been no incidents involving a driver with a Class A commercial driver’s license.

Instead, it’s more inexperienced drivers who either don’t realize the height of the vehicle they are driving, or miss the warning signs altogether. When I asked Chief Lindsey what kind of reaction drivers have to hitting the viaduct, he said they usually ask why there are no signs.

In 2022, there were eight incidents that involved a motorist striking the bridge, according to data from the Central City Police Department. These were mostly Class B commercial license holders, driving box trucks, campers or other high-profile vehicles.

Police reports are filed if these incidents include more than $500 in damage, and are reported to P&L. The railway line then must send an engineer to inspect the structure and deem it safe.

All but one of the incidents last year were in the morning hours. The first of the year was at 3:24 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2022. Most of the wrecks happened between 5 and 8 a.m. The latest was at 1:03 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2022.

Sometimes, for the avid followers of such incidents, it seems like they are happening every other week! That is because they are. There were two incidents each month in May, August and October last year.

Chief Lindsey said these drivers are not using truck routes, but instead relying on GPS systems that unfortunately lead them right into the pickle.

From photos posted online by witnesses, the damage is often almost comical. Pictures of box trucks with their roofs peeled open like a can of sardines has earned the passage a nickname with locals – the Can Opener.

The phenomena of drivers tempting fate, and the solid record of wins for the viaduct, date back decades. Chief Lindsey said he’s seen photos from the 1950s of victims of the Can Opener.

Damage from larger semi trucks used to be more common, and they would often tie up traffic for hours as their load was transferred to another truck to be hauled away.