Driver, tractor-trailer cab recovered from Delaware River, officials announce
Driver, tractor-trailer cab recovered from Delaware River
The body of the male driver of a tractor-trailer cab whose vehicle crossed two lanes of traffic on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, hit a wall and crashed into the Delaware River below has been recovered along with the cab, officials announced.
NEW CASTLE, Del. - The body of the male driver of a tractor-trailer cab whose vehicle crossed two lanes of traffic on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, hit a wall and crashed into the Delaware River below has been recovered along with the cab, officials announced.
What we know:
A Bobtail Tractor crossed two lanes of traffic on the Delaware Memorial Bridge early Friday morning, hit a wall and then the tractor fell into the Delaware River below.
Emergency personnel immediately responded to the scene to attempt to locate the driver and the cab. Their search was suspended late Friday afternoon.
They began again Saturday morning, arriving around 6 a.m.
Conditions were such that recovery efforts did not begin until around 9 a.m., officials said.
Search and rescue teams, along with members of the Bridge Ship Collision Protection project, worked together to recover the deceased male driver of the cab and the Bobtail tractor.
The recovery happened a little after 11 a.m.
The Delaware Medical Examiner has taken possession of the driver’s remains.
Tractor-trailer cab crashes, falls off Delaware Memorial Bridge; recovery efforts underway
Crews are responding to a crash on the Delaware Memorial Bridge that happened early Friday morning where a tractor-trailer cab crashed through the wall and off the side of the bridge into the water below.
The backstory:
Crews responded to a crash on the Delaware Memorial Bridge that happened early Friday morning where a tractor-trailer cab crashed through the wall and off the side of the bridge into the water below.
Officials confirmed Friday morning that the crash happened around 3:40 a.m. and involved a Bobtail Tractor.
The tractor was heading southbound on the bridge into Delaware when the vehicle crossed two lanes of traffic on the downslope of the bridge and crashed into a concrete wall.
The impact collapsed the wall and sent the vehicle careening into the Delaware River.
Officials confirmed shortly before noon Friday that the cab had been located in approximately 20 feet of water. Crews then had to assess the safety of the area where the cab was found so they could investigate further.
By late afternoon, first responders began partnering with contractors on site to utilize their barges and cranes.
The search for occupants in the vehicle was called off by 5 p.m., due to conditions.
What we don't know:
The investigation into how the tractor collided with the wall is ongoing. The identity of the driver is not known, nor is there information about who owns the cab.