A truck driver was plucked from a truck cab dangling from the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel on Monday morning, April 8, after the woman crashed her truck while driving southbound on Interstate 664.
According to the Washington Post and the Associated Press, 43-year-old Almira Ribic was driving on the bridge at around 9 a.m. when she lost control of her tractor-trailer, left her lane, and slammed into the side of bridge. The front of the truck hung over the side of the bridge over the James River and between the southbound and northbound lanes of traffic. The crash caused the truck’s gas tank to rupture, and the big-rig was briefly on fire.
A number of emergency responders were called to the scene, including the Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads, the Virginia State Police, Newport News Fire Department, the Virginia Marine Police, Portsmouth Police Department, and Suffolk Police and Fire Departments. The woman was placed in a life preserver, placed in a harness, and moved from the cab of the truck back onto the bridge. At the same time, rescue boats kept other water vessels from approaching the scene of the accident.
The trucker was charged by Virginia State Police with reckless driving, though the accident is still under investigation. She suffered minor injuries in the VA truck crash.
The truck was pulled back onto the bridge and a team cleaned up spilled diesel fuel—two activities that required authorities to close portions of the bridge and back up morning traffic.
The personal injury attorneys at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharpare here to help you, if you need representation. Call our offices today at (833) 997-1774 to schedule a free, private appointment.