“As the assemblymember representing the Town of Glenville and the 112^th Assembly District, I have been briefed on the events that took place on Maple Avenue last night. Reports indicate a tractor-trailer filled with canisters of compressed natural gas struck a bridge and exploded. I have spoken with Supervisor Koetzle about the matter and the dangerous nature of low bridges. Since last night, I have received numerous updates and am confident in the work of our local fire departments, the Glenville Police Department, and transportation departments in Schenectady and Saratoga counties.

“When I first heard the news, my initial thoughts were with the people of Glenville and the surrounding community as well as the driver’s safety. The evacuation of residents in proximity to the accident has been necessary and especially disruptive so close to the Christmas holiday. I have been ensured all proper precautions are taking place to uphold community safety in this area and will do my best to keep the community up to date as well.

“Going forward, I will continue to work with the town, county officials, state agencies, the railway and the federal government on this matter in my district. We need to look at several issues, including the structural integrity of the bridge over Maple Avenue, the recent increase in strikes to this bridge following improvements to the Glenridge Road bridge, and any possible connection between the two. I continue to wonder whether legislation requiring the use of commercial-grade GPS for trucks traveling through this area is part of the solution.”