Elizabethton monument damaged in accident

Police say a tractor-trailer destroyed a cannon that was part of the Veterans Monument in downtown Elizabethton on Tuesday. A crash report from the Elizabethton Police Department says a tractor-trailer was headed east on East Elk Ave Tuesday when it hit the cannon and concrete slab beside the monument. The driver told police later that he didn’t notice the impact or realize he was dragging a piece of the concrete slab under his trailer. Traffic in Elizabethton has been redirected due to the Broad Street Bridge closure after Hurricane Helene and those detours have led to heavy tractor-trailer traffic through the tight confines of downtown roadways. The city will wait to fix the monument until after the bridge is reopened and the traffic issues resolved. TDOT said in December that the bridge repairs in Elizabethton should be completed in May 2025.