Two men have been arrested after they were accused of stealing the 50 foot steel Covert’s Crossing Bridge from North Beaver Township, Pennsylvania, using a torch.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the men were 24 and 25. They both face felony charges of criminal mischief, theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.
The bridge, in a secluded rural area, had been there since the early 1900′s and was estimated to be worth $100,000. It was privately owned and used only occasionally to transport material. After it was removed, workers were able to use a nearby road as an alternate route.
Locals claim that the bridge is haunted and on prom night a beautifully dressed woman can be seen on it. She’s going to be real confused this year when she discovers she’s materialized above a scrap yard.
Two charged with stealing Lawrence County bridge [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette] (Thanks to GitEmSteveDave!)
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Entire Steel Bridge Stolen From Township
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But, WHY did they do it? Some sort of protest? Were they running low on steel?
Scrap metal, duh.
I’m pretty sure they just sold it for scrap because they’s poor.
Erm. The “scrap hunters” also do it so they don’t have to get real jobs.
Well yeah, that just goes without saying.
Ah, didn’t catch the sarcasm w/o the morning coffee.
Sorry, I should have added the /s tag. Generally you should take nothing I say seriously, unless otherwise noted.
Are you proposing a non-sarcasm tag?
Hmmmm…some sort of ‘serious’ tag.
I know! Let’s all agree to use /s !!! That’ll work perfectly!
/s
So what? Unless they are violating something (as in this case), how they draw their income is their business.
Unless I missed something, we ARE talking about “this case.”
Huh … all that work and scrap steel goes for 25-35¢/lb.
Shine on you crazy diamond(s)
This would have been one of those rare times, when someone would offer to sell you a bridge, and they actually had one to sell!
I think a fitting punishment, instead of sitting in jail, would be to have to work on rebuilding the bridge. Unpaid. Until it’s done. Jail at night, bridge building during the day. If they don’t have the skills needed to help build, they can carry things and be gofers.
That’s a pretty good idea.
Excellent idea! Win-win.
But then how will the for-profit jail make any money off their indentured servants?
I’m sorry but I don’t know if I’d feel comfortable about driving over a bridge that two jokers built as a condition of their parole. Its just one of those instances where I’d prefer to have a skilled worker do it. Besides, I’m sure the unions would have something to say about that idea as well.
It wouldn’t be built just by them, but as workers on a real construction crew. They could carry stuff, and be gofers bringing tools back and forth to the real workers, or hold things in place while the real workers actual build. It would get them off their behinds and out of jail during the day.
And, the forced labor vs sitting in jail watching TV for however long might dissuade them from doing this again.
They wanted to bridge the gaps in their personal budgets.
Listen… I have a bridge in my truck i can sell you….
*some assembly required
I remember reading about this bridge before they knew who stole it. My whole problem is the amount of time involved in dismanteling it. What kind of police force does this town have that a whole bridge can be dismantled without their/someone knowing? And I don’t see 2 guys dismanteling a whole bridge without some type of clearence. As time ticks I feel we may hear of a confused teller at Permits.
if it hardly ever gets used and is on private property, there would be plenty of time.
It was a small bridge that was rarely ever used in a small town, in the middle of nowhere, out in the middle of the woods, on private property. They probably had weeks to dismantle the bridge before someone came by.
I think that since it was in such a secluded area, that no one realized it was gone until someone needed to use it.
If you’re motivated, you can chop up a lot of steel with an acetylene torch in a very short time. I assume more of it was angle iron than bar, so reducing it to pieces that’ll fit in the bed of a pickup wouldn’t take long. With two men, they could cut out sections weighing up to 200 pounds, wrestle them into the truck, and further reduce them away from the scene.
dudes get points for ambition. Go large or go home. *thumbs up*
Looks like Sgt. Colon of the Night Watch had the right idea.
+8
Well played, sir (or madam)!
I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell those guys…
I can imagine the ghost materializing over the spot where the bridge is supposed to be, realizing that something isn’t right and looks down and panics and does that Scooby-Doo and Shaggy running in place thing before she falls.
Can’t stop seeing it…
Now i see it
Someone in England is wondering how you can take apart a bridge with a flashlight.
I get it! Because a torch is another name for a flashlight in the UK.
*so proud*
The first time I read the article I was thinking of fire on a stick…. Then I realized that it must be because I’ve played way too many fantasy RPGs… =P
I want an acetylene flashlight!
Here you go.
Dammit, I was hoping they’d get away with it.
They would have if it wasn’t for those meddling kids.
wonder which one had to dress up as the “pretty lady ghost”?
Reduce, reuse, recycle!