A semi truck driver has cheated death after a crash left her big rig dangling from the side of a bridge in Kentucky. The driver has been recovered, but the aftermath of the crash remains grim, with multiple people hospitalized in serious condition, and the bridge remaining closed until further notice.
The crash was reported by an ABC affiliate in Louisville, KY to have occurred Friday on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge, which crosses the Ohio River to Indiana. The circumstances of the crash aren’t known, but the collision reportedly involved three other vehicles, and left the tractor trailer hanging precariously over the side. The incident prompted a massive emergency response, drawing a reported 30 firefighters to the scene along with medical personnel and police.
The fire department reportedly set up what it called a “pickoff” rescue, which involved a ladder truck from which a firefighter rappelled down to the semi’s cab. By around 12:30 pm local time, the driver had reportedly been recovered safely, though their truck remains hanging off the side of the bridge.
“All credit goes to these folks right here,” remarked Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill, reportedly referring to a crew of firefighters on the scene. “This is our rescue company that handled this. They train for this stuff all the time. You see these were some serious heroes here.”
The semi’s driver was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation, and reportedly seemed okay. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for all occupants of the other vehicles involved: Two people were also hospitalized with “serious, life-threatening” injuries. As the truck has not yet been recovered, the bridge remains shut down and is reportedly not expected to reopen until Saturday morning at the earliest.
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