The body of driver of a truck that crashed through a concrete wall on the Delaware Memorial Bridge and fell into the Delaware River Friday has been recovered.
Emergency recovery resources and personnel, including a crane and barge repositioned from the active construction site of the Bridge Ship Collision Protection project, coordinated efforts to successfully recover both the Bobtail tractor and a deceased male occupant from the Delaware River at approximately 11:10 a.m.
Recovery personnel arrived on-site this morning at approximately 6:00 a.m. Water and tide conditions delayed the recovery effort, which actively began at approximately 9:00 a.m.
Delaware State Police Marine dive unit and Holloway Terrace Fire Company were instrumental in this morning’s successful recovery operation said the DRBA. Emergency personnel used a Hurst tool (Jaws of Life) to extricate the body from the cab and Delaware Medical Examiner has taken possession of the remains.
The investigation of this accident – including the identification of the victim, cause of the accident, ownership of the truck cab, and other accident-related details – is ongoing at this time.
On Friday authorities temporarily suspended recovery operations dues to water conditions.
The crash 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.
On Friday, the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) said that the driver of the submerged tractor-trailer is presumed dead.
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 on Friday, 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. on Friday, 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.