A woman was rescued from a tractor-trailer involved in a four-vehicle crash that left the truck hanging precariously from the Clark Memorial Bridge on Friday.
Louisville Fire Chief Brian O'Neill said the woman was rescued from the cabin at 12:45 p.m., about 40 minutes after the collision.
Two other people involved in the crash were taken to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Louisville Metro Police spokesman Aaron Ellis said in a statement.
The bridge connecting Kentucky and southern Indiana is closed to traffic while LMPD and the Kentucky Department of Transportation assess the damage and clear the scene. Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.
The bridge is unlikely to reopen before Saturday morning, Ellis said.
'It's lucky it didn't go away'
Officials have yet to determine the cause of the crash, but O'Neill said the rescued driver was “lucky” his truck didn't fall into the river.
“The way it is … it's very fortunate that it's not gone,” he said.
Louisville's rescue team regularly trains to respond to a variety of situations, practicing rescues from bridges, high-rise buildings and other locations. However, using the drill is “quite unique.”
“It's kind of a one-time career,” he said.
Firefighter Bryce Gordon got a harness to the driver of the trailer and lifted her to safety.
O'Neill called Gordon “one of the nicest, happiest guys you'll ever meet in your life. He's the right person to try to keep the patient calm, very cool and collected. Make sure she's in safe hands.”
O'Neill praised the driver, saying he “kept it together like a champ.” Firefighters were able to speak to the driver through an open window while preparing rescue equipment, and O'Neill said he remained calm until he reached the ground.
“She was praying, she was praying a lot, and I was praying with her,” Gordon said.
Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at [email protected], 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bluesmore.
