Case against truck driver continued again in court

The case of a man accused of hitting the Ben Williamson Memorial Bridge in June has been continued another week.

A pretrial was scheduled Thursday in Ironton Municipal Court for former truck driver Dennis J. Smith, 59, of South Point. The matter was reset for next Thursday.

Smith was cited to court in late June by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

According to the post, Smith was driving a 1987 Mack semi tractor-trailer loaded with scrap metal at the time it hit the bridge. The truck continued into Kentucky without stopping or reporting that a crash had occurred according to the OSHP. The truck is owned by L.R. Daniels Transportation in Ashland, Ky.

Smith is charged with failure to control and leaving the scene of an accident, both misdemeanor charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges July 1 in front of Judge O. Clark Collins.

The bridge’s I-beam was replaced by Evers Welding Co. of Cincinnati in early August after a two-month long closure of the span.

— By Michelle Goodman

 

Commission doesn’t have Thursday session

The Lawrence County Commissioners did not have their regularly scheduled Thursday meeting because of the lack of a quorum.

Commissioner Freddie Hayes was in attendance.

However, Commission President Bill Pratt and Commissioner Les Boggs were unable to attend on Thursday.

The commission will have a work session on Tuesday, Oct. 1, and meet in regular session on Thursday, Oct. 3.