LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A semi truck spent several hours hanging off the Second Street Bridge between southern Indiana and Louisville, Ky. after a dramatic rescue Friday afternoon.
First responders could be seen rappelling down to the semi's cab where a female driver was still trapped inside. The driver was then seen in the arms of a rescuer being pulled to safety around 12:30 p.m.
Louisville Metro Police confirmed the driver and fire fighter are safe on land at this time.
As of 6:40 p.m., the semi-truck has been safely pulled back on to the bridge by crews.
According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, the semi was removed completely from the bridge around 8 p.m. Friday.
KYTC engineers are conducting a physical inspection of the bridge, followed by another on Saturday.
WATCH THE FULL RESCUE AS IT HAPPENED LIVE:
Daring rescue
Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said the recuse method used Friday is known as a "pickoff."
"All credit goes to these folks right here," O'Neill said, pointing to about a dozen fire department members behind him. "This is our rescue company that handled this. They train for this stuff all the time. You see these were some serious heroes here."
About 30 firefighters were on the scene, plus members of EMS and Louisville Metro police.
In an afternoon update, Mayor Craig Greenberg said first responders on the scene within three minutes and the rescue was completed within 40 minutes.
"I want to give a giant thanks to Firefighter [Bryce] Carden and the entire team for their bravery and heroism and swift response to save those in danger today, and every day," he said.
LMPD said a preliminary investigation revealed that the semi's tractor trailer and three other vehicles somehow crashed. It's unclear exactly how the crash occurred at this time, but police said it resulted in the semi hanging over the side of the bridge.
Two people in one of the other vehicles were transported to the hospital with "serious, life-threatening" injuries.
The semi driver was also taken to the hospital, but appeared to be OK, according to O'Neill.
The truck dangling from the bridge appears to be a Sysco truck.
Both sides of the Clark Memorial Bridge are shut down, LMPD said. It's unclear how long the bridge in downtown Louisville will remain closed.
Greenberg said Louisville leaders are partnering with state officials and Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore reopened quickly.
An LMPD spokesperson said it's unlikely to be reopened until Saturday morning, but officials said the road may be closed longer.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) crews need to assess damage to the bridge and ensure its safe for drivers to cross, but the semi will need to be removed first.
KYTC State Highway Engineer James Ballinger said the bridge was last inspected in 2023 and was in "fair condition." He said although the bridge has narrow lanes, it's still deemed safe for truck traffic.
The KYTC does not have an estimated timeline on when inspections will be complete.
In a statement Sysco said the company is grateful for the quick response by first responders.
"Sysco is enormously grateful to rescue services and law enforcement who quickly and safely resolved the accident on the Clark Memorial Bridge today. We are thankful our Sysco colleague is safe and thank the first responders for their courageous efforts rescuing our driver. Safety is a priority at Sysco, and we are cooperating with the law enforcement investigation," a company spokesperson said.
We will update this story with more information as we learn more.
Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.