Video: Va. firefighters rescue truck driver suspended 70 feet over river
Chesapeake Firefighter Justin Beazley rappelled off the side of a bridge to rescue the driver of the tractor-trailer
Simone Jasper
The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
CHESAPEAKE, Va. — A truck cab was suspended 70 feet above a river as rescuers raced to save the driver, Virginia officials say.
The harrowing scene played out Monday morning, as storms threatened to bring strong winds to parts of the region, according to the Chesapeake Fire Department and the National Weather Service.
Dramatic photos show the front of a tractor-trailer dangling off the High Rise Bridge on Interstate 64 west. The area is above the Elizabeth River and roughly 9 miles south of downtown Norfolk.
Chesapeake firefighter Justin Beazley, a member of the technical rescue team, rappels off the side of the I-64 Highrise Bridge to rescue the driver of a tractor-trailer that jackknifed, hanging 70 feet over the Elizabeth River. pic.twitter.com/6hZhOVJHep
— Chesapeake Fire Dept (@ChesapeakeFire) April 13, 2020
Rescuers say they made the truck stable before using ropes to reach the driver. The person was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital with “non life-threatening injuries” about an hour after the crash, according to Chesapeake officials.
The truck’s cab went over the bridge after the vehicle jackknifed, firefighters said in a Facebook post.
The cause of the wreck is under investigation, according to the post.
State and local crews were also involved in the rescue, the fire department says.
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©2020 The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Video
Praise God!!!
Posted by Sam Erwin on Monday, April 13, 2020
