Some bricks were knocked out of place near the “Welcome to Harmony” sign by the intersection of Main and Mercer streets in Harmony after a tractor-trailer backed into it Friday night.

HARMONY — A tractor-trailer backed into the raised flower bed near the welcome sign on Harmony's Main Street on Friday night, causing damage to the bricks that surround it.

The driver, according to Harmony Councilwoman Cathy Rape, “went straight through town onto Main Street, which he's not allowed to do.”

Rape said the accident was similar to many that have occurred before when tractor trailers fail to follow signs for the alternate truck route.

“He backed straight up and busted it all apart,” Rape said. “Thank goodness it didn't hit the monument or the electric services in that area.”

Rape said the problem has become more consistent as truck drivers avoid their designated routes.

“I don't know where these truckers come from and what they're hauling, but they don't seem to follow the truck route at all,” she said. “There's definitely signage that says no trucks and they want to follow their GPS and not signage.”

Rape said the welcome sign in the town's center has been completely replaced once and struck again since then, but not broken. She said she wants to discuss this recurring problem with the truck company.

“I'm happy we have a business in town, but the word to follow the truck route needs to be out there better,” Rape said.

Joe Dippold, who is on Harmony borough's council, said he witnessed Friday night's accident. He added that the borough will have to clean up the mess before the borough's New Year's Eve celebration, Silvester, which allows for two weeks “to try to whip something together.”

Rape said the borough has contracted someone to fix bricks on the borough building, and the council president most likely will ask for an estimate to repair the damages from that same contractor.

“I can't imagine anyone fixing it before New Year's,” Rape said. “I'm just imagining that you have to contract people a month ahead of time to do a job. It's just a shame.”

Dippold said they would “eventually receive money from an insurance claim to fix the damages, but it will most likely be after (Silvester).”

Dippold said Zelienople police responded to the incident, and Chief Jim Miller noted that the driver said he would pay for the damages.