A tractor-trailer cab that went over the side of the Delaware Memorial Bridge has been located in the waters of the Delaware River and its driver is now presumed dead.
The vehicle was traveling southbound on I-295 into Delaware on Friday when it suddenly cut across three lanes of traffic around 3:40 a.m., according to the Delaware River and Bay Authority. It then struck a concrete barrier and plunged into the river.
“The cab has been located in about 20 feet of water,” DRBA spokesperson James Salmon said in a statement on Friday.
As of Saturday morning, they had not yet recovered the unidentified driver nor determined if anyone else was inside the cab at the time of the crash.
Rescue crews and dive teams from several agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, assisted in the search on Friday. Efforts to recover the cab and whoever may be inside were suspended around 4:30 p.m. due to tide and water conditions in the area.
Recovery efforts were set to resume on Saturday and will continue as the tide permits, officials said. DRBA engineers will work with R.E. Pierson to use a barge and a crane in an effort to pull the cab from the river.
The early-morning crash snarled traffic on the bridge, which has two four-lane spans and connects Delaware and New Jersey. The left lane was closed for the ongoing investigation, and the right lane was already blocked off for scheduled construction, the Delaware Memorial Bridge account on X said.
DRBA was later able to open the right lane, freeing up some traffic. All lanes have since reopened.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
With News Wire Services
