A truck collided with a pedestrian bridge on the Panamericana highway in Escobar on Thursday, May 7, 2026, causing the structure to collapse [1, 3].

The accident resulted in a total closure of the highway in both directions, paralyzing one of the region's most critical transport arteries [1].

Emergency personnel, firefighters, and National Roadway (Vialidad Nacional) teams responded to the scene after a Scania T113 truck struck the bridge due to excessive height [1, 2]. The impact caused the bridge to crumble, and a shipping container overturned [1, 2, 3]. During the collision, a passenger car became trapped beneath the truck [1].

Two people were injured in the crash [1]. While some reports mentioned a separate multi-vehicle accident involving three deaths, those figures are not associated with the bridge collapse in Escobar [1].

Reports on the exact location of the incident varied among sources. Yahoo said the crash occurred at kilometer 45 [1], while MSN said it was at kilometer 41.5 [2] and Ámbito said kilometer 50 [3]. The accident took place on the Campana branch of the Panamericana [1, 2, 3].

Traffic remained at a standstill for several hours as crews worked to remove the debris and the overturned container [1, 2]. Authorities focused on clearing the roadway and ensuring the stability of the remaining bridge structures before reopening the lanes to traffic [1, 3].

“A truck collided with a pedestrian bridge on the Panamericana highway in Escobar”

This incident highlights critical safety vulnerabilities regarding vehicle height restrictions on major transit corridors. The total closure of the Panamericana, a primary logistical vein, demonstrates how a single structural failure can disrupt regional commerce and transport, emphasizing the need for stricter height enforcement and modernized infrastructure in high-traffic industrial zones.