New Castle, Delaware – Authorities have temporarily suspended recovery operations following a serious crash on the Delaware Memorial Bridge early Friday morning. Officials said the incident occurred at approximately 3:40 a.m. when a Bobtail Tractor traveled across three lanes of traffic and crashed into a concrete wall, sending the vehicle over the side of the bridge and into the Delaware River.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) said that the driver of the submerged tractor-trailer is presumed dead. At this time, the identity of the driver has not been released, and it remains unclear whether any additional occupants were inside the vehicle when it went into the water.
Dive teams located the submerged cab in approximately 20 feet of water during the morning hours. Safety assessments of the area were conducted before recovery operations began. The DRBA Engineering Department coordinated with R.E. Pierson Construction, the contractor for the Delaware Memorial Bridge Ship Collision Protection Project, to bring in a barge and crane to assist with the recovery efforts.
Throughout the day, DRBA maintenance and marine units worked to secure the impacted area both on the bridge and below it to prevent additional debris from falling into the river during recovery operations. A DRBA maintenance attenuator vehicle was positioned on the concrete pad near the damaged section of the bridge as a precautionary safety measure.
At 4:30 p.m., officials announced that due to hazardous tide and water conditions in the vicinity of the submerged vehicle, recovery efforts would be suspended for the day. All lanes of the Delaware-bound span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge have since been reopened to traffic.
Authorities said the investigation and recovery effort remain ongoing.