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Rush hour in the city’s west end featured an unusual snarl Tuesday – a too-tall rig loaded with new vehicles that smashed through traffic lights along Hunt Club and Greenbank roads until a van atop the trailer was sheared off by a railway bridge.

“I’ve never seen it or heard about this in my 15-year career either in Ottawa or anywhere in North American,” said veteran traffic Const. Paramjit Singh, a commercial vehicle inspectors who was called out to investigate at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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The driver had dropped off a new vehicle on Antares Drive, then got back on Hunt Club heading to a delivery in the Greenbank Road area.

Trouble is, he forgot to lower the rear deck of the car carrier to comply with height restrictions.

He took out a string of traffic lights as he headed west along Hunt Club Road and a few more after he turned north onto Greenbank. The Dodge Caravan on the top was finally torn off the car carrier by a railway bridge south of Baseline Road.

Thankfully no one was hurt – which was the driver’s first concern, Singh said.

For his oversight, the driver is charged with having an over-height vehicle and careless driving under the Highway Traffic Act.