A tractor-trailer driver was rescued from the cab of the vehicle after a collision left it dangling from a bridge above the Ohio River in Louisville Friday.
The four-vehicle crash, which the Louisville Metro Police Department said happened at about noon on the Clark Memorial Bridge, has shut down a major artery connecting Louisville to the Indiana side of the river.
The semi truck driver was taken to University of Louisville Hospital after what police described as a “dramatic rescue” by Louisville Fire and Rescue. The driver’s injuries were not thought to be life-threatening, police said.
Two people in one of the other vehicles involved sustained serious and possibly life-threatening injuries in the collision, which happened about noon Louisville police said in a news release.
Motorists were urged to find alternate routes as both the Indiana and Kentucky sides of the bridge, which is also known as the Second Street Bridge, were closed during rush hour Friday afternoon.
Police said it was unlikely the bridge would reopen before Saturday morning.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the timeline for reopening the bridge, which carries an average of 24,000 vehicles a day between Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Ind., is uncertain.
Engineers were using drones to inspect the sidewalk and railing Friday afternoon, but a physical inspection is also necessary “to assess conditions above and below the bridge,” the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said in a news release.
“A focus area will be the sidewalk support under the deck which connects to the adjacent bridge structure,” the release stated. ”The inspection timeline will depend on when the site is cleared and available daylight. A complete inspection may linger into tomorrow.”
“Safety is our primary focus as we work to reopen this highly used bridge to traffic as soon as possible,” State Highway Engineer James Ballinger said in the release. “Our engineers are ready and eager to start physical inspections, which will inform next steps like repairs needed and the reopening timeline.”
The cabinet said it will use a contract already in place with a contractor who recently repaired another part of the bridge “to expedite any repairs.”
The bridge, originally built in 1929 and reconstructed in 1958, carries both motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic, the cabinet said.
Police said they did not yet know what caused the wreck, which involved the semi, two passenger vehicles and a pickup truck.
“Our investigators are speaking with witnesses and beginning the early stages of reconstruction,” Louisville police said in the release.
Gov. Andy Beshear expressed his gratitude for the first responders Friday afternoon.
“The brave fire fighters and first responders today in Louisville are an amazing example of how everyday heroes put their lives at risk to help others when they need it most,” Beshear said in a post on the social media platform X. “We are incredibly grateful for their service to their community and to the commonwealth.”
