The mangled truck waits for a tow on Fifth Avenue and 96th Street this afternoon. (Photos: Geoffrey Croft/NYC Park Advocates)
Manhattan
Geoffrey Croft
A truck making newspaper deliveries to the Gay Pride Parade struck the 96th Street transverse in Central Park today.
The truck's fiberglass body was destroyed as it went through the historic 1870's transverse designed by famed Central Park designer Calvert Vaux. The yellow Penske truck was delivering Gay City News newspapers when it had the accident.
The vehicle was traveling east across 96th Street near Central Park West around 1:30pm when the top of it caught the massive historic stone arch that easy ripped through the truck's fiberglass cabin. Yellow paint and scraping along the top of the arch were visible.
Going under the second arch near 5th Avenue was less dramatic as the truck's body was already sheered.
A bright yellow sign mounted above the transverse arch stated the clearance was 9 Ft. 11 inches however the truck is 13 Ft. 6 inches high according to a sign printed by the truck's rear view mirror.
"I knew that wasn't a great idea going across Central Park," said a driver at the scene.
"And of all days," he said as he transferred bound newspapers to another, smaller truck.
"I guess we're going to be late. The important thing is no one got hurt."
9 Ft. 11 Inch Transverse Clearance - vs. 13 Ft. 6 Inch High Truck.
Yellow paint and scraping along the top of the arch were clearly visable.
What The Driver Is Supposed To See - Rear view mirror.
96/97th St. Transverse - above left - scene of the accident.
Workers transferred the newspapers to another truck.
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