MASON COUNTY, W.Va. — Emergency crews rescued a tractor-trailer driver whose cab was left hanging partially over a bridge after an early-morning crash on U.S. 35.
The accident occurred shortly after 5 a.m. in the northbound lanes near the intersection with Sixteen Mile Creek Road, according to West Virginia 511 traffic reports. Fire officials say the truck, which was hauling a load of bricks, lost control and struck a concrete barrier, leaving the cab suspended over the edge of the bridge.
Responders said the weight of the bricks inside the trailer likely prevented the entire rig from falling onto the roadway below. The driver remained trapped in the cab for roughly five and a half hours before being safely brought out.
Rick Handley, president of the Mason County Commission, publicly thanked the responding departments for their work. “I would like to thank the following fire departments for their heroic efforts to save the life of a semi driver on Route 35 in Mason County today: Hurricane, Point Pleasant, Winfield, Buffalo, St. Albans, Nitro and Teays Valley,” he wrote. “Your efforts are much appreciated, and we are truly thankful to see all these departments come together to help those in need.”
Point Pleasant Fire Chief Jeremy Bryant told WOWK-TV that the rescue was unlike anything he had seen in his career.
“I’ve been doing this for about 35 years, and this is probably one of the most complex rescues I’ve been involved in,” he said. “We’ve had trucks go over this bridge before, but this is the first time we’ve had one suspended in the air with no real way to reach the driver other than rappelling.”