DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Miranda Shotts isn’t a stranger to cars and trucks hitting buildings — and even her house — since she’s lived at the sharp curve on Route 982 in Bradenville, Derry Township.
“It’s a pretty dangerous bend. Even in a car, it’s dangerous,” Shotts told Channel 11’s Andrew Havranek. “Since we moved in, it was hit once. The corner of our front porch got clipped by a tractor-trailer.”
But what she saw Tuesday morning was unlike anything else she’s seen.
A truck carrying a massive wind turbine blade was stuck right at the bend.
She said her dogs were going crazy, so she looked outside.
“I looked up and went, ‘Oh my god!’” Shotts said. “I honestly didn’t even know what it was at first. I had to come out and see how big it was. I thought it was an airplane wing at first, then when you got to the front of the truck, you could see the end of the windmill blade.”
Derry Township Supervisor Jim Prohaska said the truck was following its PennDOT-approved route from Ebensburg in Cambria County and was heading to Iowa.
The 162-foot blade was too long and couldn’t make the turn.
The tip ended up crunching through the siding of Zeb’s Auto, leaving a hole inside the garage.
The owner didn’t want to do an interview but told Channel 11 he was thankful it didn’t hit any of the cars at his shop. He’s waiting for insurance adjusters before making repairs.
“It could have turned out pretty bad,” Shotts said. “We’re all pretty lucky on this corner that day.”
Prohaska said it took about two hours for the truck to back up a little more than a mile. The driver then got a new route from PennDOT and continued onto Route 22, where he said the trailer stalled.
It eventually made it to Iowa.
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