Driver ignores officer warnings, leading to truck getting stuck in Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel
On Thursday, a truck driver disregarded warnings from the police that his tractor-trailer was too large to fit through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. As a result, he got stuck, causing traffic to come to a standstill between Brooklyn and Manhattan for several hours, according to authorities.
According to Catherine Sheridan, the head of bridges and tunnels at the MTA, an enormous 18-wheeler became stuck roughly one mile into a lane heading towards Brooklyn in the tunnel.
“He ignored all of the signage that was in place on the highway. He ignored the officer who tried to stop him at the portal of the tunnel,” Sheridan said.
According to Sheridan, the officer attempted to stop the driver by getting out of his vehicle and signaling for them to pull over. Despite the officer’s efforts, the driver disregarded the warnings and continued driving through the tunnel.
According to Sheridan, the truck halted in the middle of the river.
“The trailer was wedged between the roof of the tunnel and [the road], and that’s where he stayed for about two hours,” she added.
Vehicles that exceed the maximum height of 12 feet, one inch are not permitted to use the tunnel. The height of the truck involved in the incident was not immediately known.
According to MTA officials, the truck illegally drove in the high-occupancy vehicle lane and entered the tunnel through a closed lane.
Assisted by the FDNY, MTA workers successfully pulled the truck out of the tunnel at approximately 12:15 p.m. To enable its removal, the sides of the trailer were cut, allowing its roof to be lowered and extracted from the tunnel.
Officials have reported that the truck carrying a load of paint became stuck while en route to its next delivery between Brooklyn and Long Island.
According to a Daily News photographer, the driver identified himself as Mohammed Abde. He faced several alleged violations, including illegally driving in an HOV lane, disregarding posted over-height warning signs, causing property damage, and failing to comply with an officer’s orders.
Abde was also cited by officers for having a flat tire.
The tunnel reopened to traffic at 3:15 p.m.
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