A Massachusetts tractor-trailer carrying mail plummeted off a Boston-area bridge Saturday morning.
The driver, however, survived the tragedy after climbing on the top of his truck. He yelled to first responders that he couldn’t swim. Fortunately, nearby firefighters rescued him.
Massachusetts state police released actual video of the man’s truck going 50 feet off the bridge and into the water. The bridge was near the Interstate 95 to Interstate 90 interchange in Weston. The Daily Mail reported that the video came from a nearby boat dock.
The city is nearly a 30-minute drive west of Boston. Watch video of the crash here.
Driver Lucky To Have Firefighters Already Out And Nearby
Weston Deputy Fire Chief Justin Woodside told area news that his men came quickly to the bridge because they were already in the area, shoveling snow from hydrants because of Friday’s snowfall.
Massachusetts state troopers also came to the man’s rescue to see the truck partially sunken in the Charles River.
“We were able to make an effective rescue,” Woodside told NBC Boston. “Our two members went in with suits, and we got him, and it took about maybe four minutes or so upon arrival.”
Massachusetts authorities did not release the driver’s name, but emergency personnel took him to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. They did not report any injuries to the man.
Tow trucks removed the mail truck, but there was no word about the mail. Massachusetts police said the trailer broke in half, and packages went into the water.
U.S. Postal Service officials got word of the crash and started investigating with state and local police. Local officials said they did not observe any fuel leaks.
“The disposition of any mail on board will be determined by Postal Inspectors once their investigation is completed,” the statement said.
NBC Boston reported that the postal inspector would care for all the packages that crews couldn’t recover from the river. Officials could not say if the U.S. Postal Service owned the truck or if the driver was a contractor.
The crash kept the Interstate ramp closed most of the day. It reopened around 10 p.m. later that night.
Truck Falls Off New Orleans Bridge On Friday
Almost 23 hours south of Boston, another truck plunged off an interstate bridge in an early morning crash hours before. According to WDSU, a truck driving westbound on Interstate 10 hit a guard rail and went through the concrete barrier.
A New Orleans police spokesperson said the driver survived non-life-threatening injuries.
Department of Transportation officials closed the road to make emergency repairs throughout the day.
The driver went to the hospital with injuries, but the accident was not a fatality, according to NOPD.
McClatchy News reported that one person caught the truck on the ground after the crash.
