Truck Driver Ignores Signs, Gets Stuck in Vermont’s Smuggler’s Notch
A Maryland truck driver became the first casualty of the season at Vermont’s notorious Smuggler’s Notch on Monday when he ignored multiple warning signs. The incident shut down the scenic mountain pass for approximately three hours.
Vermont State Police responded to VT 108 South around 11 a.m. on May 11 after receiving reports of a tractor-trailer wedged in the narrow roadway. The driver, 36-year-old Musa Boima, told officers he was traveling from Waterbury to Enosburg when the incident occurred.
According to a statement from Vermont State Police, Boima “chose to disregard several signs stating tractor trailers were prohibited, and decided to drive around chicanes that were installed at the entrance to the notch road.” Boima reportedly claimed he saw signage indicating he could proceed through the pass.
Local station WCAX confirmed this was the first truck to become stranded since the seasonal roadway reopened this spring. A tow truck operator worked for hours to free the stuck semi.
Authorities issued Boima a traffic ticket for “driving on lanes for traffic.” His employer faces a substantially steeper penalty – a citation for “tractor trailer in the notch” carrying a $2,347 fine.
This incident comes despite recent prevention efforts by Vermont transportation officials. Last year, the Vermont Agency of Transportation installed chicanes – a system of orange barrels and curbs specifically designed to block oversized vehicles and force them to turn around before entering the notch.
Smuggler’s Notch has a long history of trapping commercial trucks whose drivers attempt to navigate its narrow, winding roadway despite abundant warnings. The pass connects Stowe and Cambridge through Mount Mansfield State Forest.