Safety expert says Princess Margaret bridge safe
A safety expert is giving good marks to the Princess Margaret bridge in Fredericton, despite two recent accidents on it. The latest accident proved to be fatal for a man from Moncton.
Phillip Boucher, 20, was driving along the Princess Margaret Bridge early Saturday Morning when his half-tonne truck started to swerve.
Police say the truck struck an abutment at the end of the bridge and went across to the opposite lane of traffic. It then struck the guard rail and ended up going over the bridge.
Police say they're not surprised the guard rails weren't able to stop the vehicle from going over. Dr. Frank Wilson, an expert in highway safety, says drivers shouldn't expect them to. Wilson says the Princess Margaret bridge is no different from most others; the railings simply aren't built to withstand a big impact.
Still, Wilson says the bridge has a pretty good safety record with relatively few fatalities.
Police are continuing to investigate the weekend accident.