3 friends ignore road signs, drive onto bridge with uncured cement on the way to get coffee
LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN/Gray News) - Authorities say three friends are responsible for up to $200,000 in damage to a Nebraska bridge after they disregarded construction signs on their way to get coffee.
Deputies with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office were called to a crash in south Lincoln that occurred around 9:30 a.m. Friday. The incident happened on a bridge under construction near 1st Street and Old Cheney Road, KOLN reports.
LSO Chief Deputy Ben Houchin said the cement on the bridge was still curing when the drivers of three vehicles disregarded road closed signs and drove onto the bridge.
The first driver, a 15-year-old girl in an Audi A4, stopped when she noticed construction equipment in the way. An 18-year-old man driving an Audi S4 also stopped his vehicle. The third driver, also 18, of a Chevy Cruz was unable to stop in time and crashed into the Audi A4, Houchin said.
No one was injured in the crash.
Houchin said the three drivers are friends. They allegedly itted to disregarding the construction signs because they wanted to go to Scooter’s Coffee in downtown Lincoln.
“There’s no way you cannot know that that is closed, and you should not be driving on it,” Houchin said.
It’s suspected the bridge sustained between $100,000 and $200,000 in damage due to the incident. The cement was supposed to cure for seven days with no weight placed on it.
While two of the vehicles were able to drive off the bridge, the third would no longer start. It was left there and will remain until Lancaster County Engineer Pam Dingman can inspect the bridge.
“We also did not want to get a tow truck up there and do anymore damage,” Houchin said.
All three drivers received traffic-related citations. The 15-year-old only had a School Learner’s Permit and should not have been driving, according to Houchin.
The friends may also receive criminal citations after it is determined how much damage was done to the bridge.
The bridge repairs were scheduled to be completed by early June. It’s unclear if those plans have changed.
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