The person responsible for causing nearly $8,000 in damage to a steel I-beam at the covered bridge in Lower Towamensing Township has been located.

Carbon County Commissioners’ Chairman Wayne Nothstein confirmed that someone had seen the news report of the hit-and-run incident at the bridge last week and contacted the county with information.

Colleen Klein, assistant chief clerk/office manager for the county, said Wednesday morning that the Penske truck was rented by a Schnecksville man.

When he returned the truck to the Allentown site, he told the company he had hit a bridge with the vehicle.

The county called the man, who again admitted hitting the structure.

His information, and a quote of $7,841 to repair the I-beam, has been submitted to the insurance company, Klein said.

The hit-and-run crash at the bridge occurred early last week and was reported by the commissioners on Thursday.

At the time, Nothstein said the I-beam was bent from the impact but saved the bridge.

“It did what it was designed to do,” he said.

In the past, a number of large vehicles damaged the historic bridge by continuing to drive after hitting a wooden height restriction bar, knocking the bar down and then going through the bridge, ripping off beams as they drove.

In 2015, the covered bridge was strengthened by the installation of the steel height restriction I-beams.

Structural Metal Fabricators of Palmerton constructed the bars at a cost of $13,637.

Since then, the I-beam was damaged by oversized vehicles at least three times.