Heavy Towing Accident Caused By Trailer’s Excess Weight

The heavy towing crew of McGann & Chester Towing Service recently assisted the Pennsylvania State Police when a truck and its trailer crashed inside the Squirrel Hill Tunnel in Pittsburgh, PA. 

Halting traffic for over two hours at 9:15 a.m., the truck was carrying a trailer filled with gardening equipment. At over 8,000 pounds over the limit, the excess weight was the most likely cause behind the truck’s brakes failing. This led to the truck and its trailer crashing into the tunnel’s walls. It then overturned and became wedged across both lanes of the tunnel. 

The McGann & Chester heavy duty towing team arrived at the scene to assist in the removal of the truck and trailer. The team efficiently wedged the truck and trailer out and successfully hauled them both away. They knew the importance of getting the job done safely and quickly, in order for the morning rush to resume! 

The Motor Carrier Enforcement investigation determined that the excess weight was a likely contributing factor to this heavy towing accident. 

Thanks to the team at McGann & Chester, regular traffic was able to commence after about 2 hours and the tunnel was reopened to vehicles at 11:20 a.m. Great job to the crew for working safely and efficiently in the midst of the early morning work rush! 

Details of Heavy Towing Accident Caused By Trailer’s Excess Weight 

McGann & Chester Towing Service was recently called for a heavy towing job inside the Squirrel Hill Tunnel in Pittsburgh, PA. The heavy towing company responded to a call about a truck and its trailer that had flipped inside the tunnel on a Friday morning at 9:15 a.m. Traffic was blocked in the area for about 2 hours, causing traffic jams and delays to work. 

The heavy towing crew was dispatched to the location and upon arriving, they assessed the situation. The truck was a Chevy pickup and its trailer was filled with gardening equipment. The vehicle and trailer had crashed after the truck’s brakes failed and became wedged across both lanes of the tunnel.

The driver had tried to brake, however, his trailer started to sway across both traffic lanes. This caused the heavy towing accident and caused the truck to crash into the tunnel’s left wall, right wall, and then back to the left wall. The vehicle and trailer overturned, blocking the eastbound traffic lanes. Thankfully, the driver sustained only minor injuries. 

The heavy towing team from McGann and Chester expertly wedged the truck and trailer out and hauled them both away. They were able to complete the heavy towing job in about two hours, while the eastbound Squirrel Hill Tunnel was closed. The tunnel was reopened at 11:20 a.m.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police, the truck and trailer were about 8,160 pounds over the legal weight limit. There was a Motor Carrier Enforcement investigation that was carried out and determined that the excess weight was a likely contributing factor to this heavy towing accident.