Skip to main content

PA Brothers Stole Bridge, Sold It for Scrap Metal

By Cynthia Hsu, Esq. on October 18, 2011 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Two Pennsylvania brothers stole a bridge and tried to sell its 15.5 tons of parts as scrap metal. To make matters more interesting, the bridge they tore down and sold is none other than the haunted Covert's Crossing Bridge.

The story behind the bridge is that it's haunted by a 1940s prom queen who died when her car drove off the side of the bridge. Some say you can see a vision of a girl in a prom dress dancing on the eerie crossing.

If the bridge truly is haunted, do you think the brothers are in for some ghostly retribution?

Even if they aren't, they might be in for some legal retribution.

Both men face charges of felony criminal mischief, theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy.

You may be wondering how two people are capable of stealing a 50 by 20-foot bridge.

Apparently, all it takes is a blowtorch and some willpower. And some luck - the bridge was located in a secluded wooded area, according to MSNBC.

The duo apparently told a recycling company that they had permission to tear up the bridge. But it seems the company thought the story was a bit more than dubious. They ended up calling the police, who arrested the two brothers.

Stealing a bridge, though strange, is still stealing.

But what is a charge of criminal mischief anyway? In Pennsylvania, it's an offense where the defendant intentionally tampers with and damages someone else's property. The brothers who stole a bridge probably did intentionally mess with someone else's property. And criminal mischief is a felony if it causes more than a $5,000 loss. Covert's Crossing Bridge was valued at $100,000.

Related Resources:

Copied to clipboard