Daily Voice
By Zak Failla From Daily Voice
A small business owner is out of work and scrambling to stay afloat after his septic truck was critically damaged in a bridge collapse in Baltimore County.
Friends and family are rallying around John Cossentino, a local Baltimore and Carroll County septic business owner who is now "in a state of emergency" after his only source of income was taken out in the collapse.
Fire crews responded around 5:20 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, to the area of Carroll Road and Philpot Road in Phoenix, where a large septic truck was found sitting on a destroyed bridge, the Baltimore County Fire Department said.
Photos from the scene show the truck wedged among twisted beams and fallen trees as first responders worked to secure the area.
The scene of the bridge collapse in Baltimore County.
Officials said no leaks or injuries were reported, though the bridge suffered massive damage.
Cossentino was cleared of any wrongdoing, as the truck was under the posted bridge weight ratings, but he is "now in a state of emergency personally and having to shoulder immense stress and catastrophic property loss.
"He now has no source of current income and his bills for fixed operating costs, sky-high liability insurance deductibles, and the loss and collapse recovery operation of the $335,000 custom-built truck are all now due," brother Tom Cossentino said.
He also noted that costs are "not being covered by insurance for anywhere close to the actual replacement value of his priceless custom built and outfitted septic truck."
The scene of the bridge collapse in Baltimore County.
The insurance also will not cover a temporary lease of a replacement septic truck — and to compound things, Cossentino sold his backup truck less than two years ago to pay for the one involved in the bridge collapse.
The incident has left the small business owner in a state of disbelief.
"I’m alive… but I’m not okay," he said. "The last few days have been some of the hardest of my life."
"I haven’t slept, just trying to wrap my head around everything that’s happened."
The scene of the bridge collapse in Baltimore County.
Cossentino said that his truck was 10,000 pounds under the posted weight limit of the bridge, which was not properly rated or certified.
"They weighed every ounce of my truck and verified I followed every rule and regulation," he said. "This accident wasn’t caused by negligence or carelessness. It was caused by an unsafe bridge."
The scene of the bridge collapse in Baltimore County.
His brother said that he had the truck custom built less than 18 months ago "with the highest performance technology and most environmentally friendly equipment possible so that he could best serve his customers that he loves and cares for so deeply."
It was supposed to last him several decades.
"He had planned this truck to last him for the next 30 years, so the fact that it has been a total loss in the collapse is devastating and no one should have to go through such a catastrophic event like this."
John Cossentino said that the truck "meant everything to me."
"It was way more than just a vehicle. It was my livelihood, my independence, and everything to me," he said. "Losing it has been devastating."
A GoFundMe set up to help Cossentino in the aftermath of the crash has been set up, raising more than $3,000 in less than 24 hours.
"He will be struggling financially to support his immediate family members and will disappoint many of his customers in need of immediate service and that will have a lasting negative impact on his business," organizers wrote.
It can be found here.
"This tragedy impacts not just him but his community and his wider family of loyal customers too," they added.
"Please consider donating or sharing to help him rebuild his business, bridge the gap and survive, and serve those in need once again."
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