March 1 (UPI) — Firefighters rescued the driver of a semi-truck after a crash left it hanging over the edge of the Clark Memorial Bridge Friday.
The incident over the Ohio River shut down traffic as first responders undertook rescue efforts.
Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill told local news outlets that rescue crews arrived at the scene at 12:06 p.m. CT to a “pretty serious wreck” involving two vehicles and the semi-truck.
The two other people involved in the incident were transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries, Louisville Metro Police spokesperson Aaron Ellis said in a statement reported by local media.
The driver of the semi-truck was trapped in the cab, but firefighters were able to rescue her with a rope and a pulley. She was then transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure.
Firefighter Bryce Carden was primarily responsible for rescuing the woman from the cab and getting her to safety.
“She was just praying. She was praying a lot, and I prayed with her,” Carden said.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the incident.
The bridge, which connects Kentucky and southern Indiana, remains closed to traffic while police and the state crews clear the wreckage.
“It’s tremendously lucky that it [the semi-truck] didn’t go over,” O’Neill said.
Ellis said the bridge is unlikely to open before Saturday morning.
O’Neill said Louisville’s rescue team trains frequently to respond to various rescue situations, but it’s “a once-in-a-career type of thing” to actually put that training into practice.
“This is why our first responders are heroes,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a post on X. “Your bravery is unmatched and we’re grateful for your lifesaving work.”