MIDLAND, TEXAS — A 47-year-old truck driver faces an over-height violation and multiple DOT charges after the forklift loaded on his trailer struck the Loop 250 overpass on eastbound Interstate 20 in Midland on Tuesday morning, causing heavy structural damage to the bridge.
Midland Police Department responded shortly before 10 a.m. on October 6. Officers determined that Kurtis Bandy was driving a 2025 Kenworth T880 towing a trailer loaded with a forklift in the outside lane of eastbound I-20 when the cargo exceeded the vertical clearance height of the Loop 250 bridge. MPD described the impact as a “severe collision” that caused “heavy structural impact” to the overpass.
Bandy was charged with an over-height violation alongside multiple DOT violations.
Texas State Representative Brooks Landgraf, who authored House Bill 799 in 2019 making over-height load drivers and vehicle owners strictly liable for bridge strike damage — and establishing a misdemeanor charge — commented on the incident. “Bridge strikes are ridiculous, and easily prevented. I’m glad to hear that this morning’s driver has already been charged with a crime under my bill. I also fully expect him — or the owner who entrusted him with the vehicle — to pay for the damage so you don’t have to.”
TxDOT reminded commercial drivers to verify their load height before traveling. “Over-height loads can cause serious damage to bridges, create hazardous conditions, and lead to significant traffic disruptions.”
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