Police charge driver of tractor-trailer that busted rail bridge over Apex road

Police have found the driver of a tractor-trailer truck that hit a railroad bridge abutment hard enough Monday morning to move it off its foundations and then kept going.

The Apex Police Department charged Rayvon Smith, 41, of Henderson on Monday afternoon with leaving the scene of an accident.

North Salem Street was closed near Old Jenks Road, and the N.C. Department of Transportation says it will remain that way until at least the end of April while CSX railroad makes repairs to the bridge.

A CSX railroad spokesperson indicated that the bridge will be closed for at least a month to undergo repairs.

The truck was carrying a Komatsu motor grader that struck the CSX bridge shortly after 10 a.m. Police said they believed the truck had headed west on U.S. 64 toward Chatham County, and they issued a bulletin to surrounding agencies.

Apex police Capt. Ann Stephens said the bridge was shifted off its foundation a couple of feet.

Police have set up a detour that involves Old Jenks Road, Davis Drive, Salem Church Road and Greenlea Drive. But they ask drivers to avoid the area if possible.

This story was originally published April 2, 2018 at 11:13 AM with the headline "Police charge driver of tractor-trailer that busted rail bridge over Apex road."