SHARPSBURG, Pa. — For the second time in less than a year, a truck owned by the same shipping company caused an hours-long shutdown of the 62nd Street Bridge connecting Sharpsburg to Pittsburgh in crashes that were remarkably similar.
Monday night, the A. Duie Pyle truck flipped halfway across the bridge as it was traveling southbound toward the city, spilling lactic acid – a naturally occurring chemical produced at large scale for food preservation and makeup.
Despite its consumer-friendly laboratory uses, lactic acid can cause severe burns and eye damage if it comes into contact with skin.
Hazmat teams said they applied neutralizers in the process of cleaning the acid up. The bridge reopened just after lunch Tuesday -- after more than 15 hours.
“I said, ‘What happened?’ Tractor-trailer overturned,” Dominic Ricci said. “I said, ‘I think that’s like the second time it shut down with a tractor-trailer overturning.’”
Ricci was correct. In September 2025, another A. Duie Pyle truck flipped on the bridge. Ricci said he watched it happen and saw the truck’s tire hitting the wall separating the lane from the sidewalk.
Ricci said workers had since made adjustments to the bridge to give trucks more room, but theorized the truck again got too close to the wall.
A representative with A. Duie Pyle declined to comment on the latest crash or share the driver’s condition. The driver in the original crash was hospitalized.
Records show A. Duie Pyle has a better-than-average inspection record on its fleet and drivers. The 62nd Street Bridge is not considered a hot spot in Allegheny County for crashes.
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