Car overturns on Petersburg's temporary Oak Hill Road bridge

PETERSBURG, Va. — A car crash on a temporary bridge on Oak Hill Road in Petersburg left a vehicle on its side Thursday afternoon and sent three people fleeing the scene on foot.

Glass from the crash still litters the area around the temporary bridge.

"I was about to make a left turn and that's when I saw a car, overturned, fire truck and ambulance there," Alan Sullins, who witnessed the aftermath of the crash, said.

Sullins is among many who drive across the bridge every day and was surprised to see a car on its side.

"I was like, how could that happen, cause the bridge is so small. You're supposed to go at a slow speed over it, so I was wondering how could the even happen," Sullins said.

The temporary bridge is one lane, with speed bumps on both ends and a posted speed limit of 10 miles per hour.

"If they had adhered to 10 miles per hour, we wouldn't have had a vehicle on its side," Kenneth Miller, Petersburg deputy city manager, said.

Miller says the crash happened just before the car began to cross the bridge.

"The accident occurred prior to the actual, physical bridge. The accident occurred between the rumble strips and the bridge," Miller said.

The car stopped sliding once it reached the bridge itself. Police say that is when the three people got out and ran.

"Speed or driver inattention appears to be the cause," Miller said.

Friday morning, the city's public works director inspected the bridge and found no structural damage. I have been reporting on Oak Hill Road and its bridge issues since April of 2022 and spent the day at the bridge to verify whether the crash caused any damage.

Watch: Neighbors voice frustration over road closure

The original Oak Hill Road bridge became unstable in early March and was closed, with a detour set up. The temporary bridge — made of steel beams and wood — was put in place and opened to traffic a few weeks later.

"I don't have a problem with it. As you can see, big truck getting ready to go across it. The bridge is fine," David Wynn, a local resident, said.

Many residents, like Wynn, are glad the crash did not shut the temporary bridge down for repairs.

"Having a bridge is better than no bridge," Wynn said.

"This bridge is designed for what she is doing, provide access to a community at 10 miles per hour," Miller said.

A new permanent bridge is expected to be in place in about a year and a half.

Anyone with information about the crash or the people seen running away is asked to call Petersburg Crime Solvers at 804-861-1212.