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'Canopener Bridge' earns name by savagely ripping open truck

The latest accident under the infamous North Carolina bridge didn't just unroll the truck's top, it took out the whole side. Hope someone sprung for that extra insurance.

Gael Cooper
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line.
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Gael Cooper
2 min read

The Canopener Bridge in Durham, North Carolina, has claimed another victim. And this time, the destruction was over the top in a "Mad Max" kind of way.

Mind the gap

On Tuesday, some anonymous driver in a Ryder moving truck ignored the numerous warning signs on the train trestle that stands just under 12 feet (3.6 meters).

The driver apparently didn't know this is the infamous bridge that has claimed more than 100 victims since Jürgen Henn, who spoke to CNET last week, started monitoring the action with two cameras trained on the bridge. Henn posts videos and reports of the unlucky drivers to his site 11foot8.com, named for the bridge's height. (Thankfully, the only thing hurt in most of these crashes is the truck, and the driver's pride.)

But let's get to the video. Note that perhaps the driver is fooled by the ease with which a city bus rolls on underneath, but the rental truck is taller. Be sure to watch the whole 90-second video, because when the truck is backed out after the crash, its entire side unpeels. Commenters on the YouTube page speculate the repair will cost somewhere around $15,000 (£12,000, AU$20,000).

"This rental truck triggered the 11-foot-8 warning sign and the traffic light turned red to stop traffic," Henn explains on You Tube. "Once time for contemplation was over, the driver floored it and did his best to make it through the canopener, but failed. Valiant effort -- excellent performance! Don't try this at home, kids."

And Henn also spoke to CNET, adding, "Tuesday's crash was definitely very interesting. I was pretty sure the days of the real destructive events were over (thanks to the addition of) the stop light. But clearly an empty truck can get up to speed if the driver puts his foot down!"

Be warned, Durham motorists. The Canopener Bridge does not take holiday vacations, and it is always hungry. Drive safely.