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Home destroyed after tractor trailer collision

| 15 Mar 2018 | 02:04
    Photo by Erika Norton This Randall Street home was severely damaged after a tractor trailer ran into the house last week.
    Photo by Erika Norton This Randall Street home was severely damaged after a tractor trailer ran into the house last week.
    Photo by Erika Norton Tracks could still be seen leading up to the house on Randall Street from a tractor trailer that ran into the home.
    Photo by Erika Norton Tracks could still be seen leading up to the house on Randall Street from a tractor trailer that ran into the home.
    Photo by Erika Norton The building inspector declared the home on Randall Street uninhabitable after a tractor trailer ran into the house.
    Photo by Erika Norton The building inspector declared the home on Randall Street uninhabitable after a tractor trailer ran into the house.
    Photo by Erika Norton The tractor trailer that ran into this Randall Street home demolished the front porch, damaged the foundation, and left a hole into the basement.
    Photo by Erika Norton The tractor trailer that ran into this Randall Street home demolished the front porch, damaged the foundation, and left a hole into the basement.

BY ERIKA NORTON
FLORIDA — A tractor trailer collided into a home on Randall Street (Route 94) last week, leaving the house with a demolished front porch, a damaged foundation and a visible hole into the basement.
According to Village of Florida police, Bernard Connelly, 62, of Bethlehem, Pa., was driving west on Randall Street towards Goshen on Friday, March 9. At about 1:35 p.m., he hit the side of a narrow bridge, sending his tractor trailer off the road and into a brick house on the right, causing serious damage.
The home is owned by Tara and Anthony Calise, according to Village of Florida Police Officer John Harter, who said he does not believe anyone was at home at the time of the crash.
Connelly, who was driving a Ryder tractor trailer for Phillips Pet Food & Supplies, was treated and released by St. Anthony Community Hospital with minor injuries.
According to Harter, the Town of Goshen building inspector responded to the scene and deemed the house uninhabitable. As of Monday, Harter said he believes the family was living in a nearby hotel for the time being.
The investigation into the crash and what caused it is still ongoing, according to police, and no charges have been filled.
Trouble spot for accidentsHarter said that this narrow bridge on Randall Street, which is along the border of Florida and Goshen, is the spot of numerous accidents over the last two years.
“It’s been slated for replacement, but when? Who knows?” Harter said. “There’s been multiple accidents there hitting the bridge because it’s narrow.”
If he had to guess, Harter said that he would say there have been at least at least six accidents there over the past couple years, three of which were truck accidents he handled.
Leading up to the bridge on boths sides, there are signs that say “Narrow bridge” and multiple speed limit signs of 35 mph.
According to the New York State Department of Transportation’s online list of projects, a study of all the bridges in Columbia, Dutchess, Ulster, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties is “in development.” The site states that the study will yield recommendations for preventive or corrective maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacements of the bridges.
The site also states the project is expected to be completed in Spring 2018, but does not list a date for when the bid opening is expected or when construction is expected to begin.