What started as a chain-reaction crash on a Louisiana bridge quickly turned into something else entirely. While first responders were still dealing with the initial wreck, a second incident unfolded nearby.
A bucket truck driver, attempting to avoid debris or slowing traffic left behind from the crash, swerved, crossed into oncoming traffic, and went over the side of the bridge. And somehow, despite everything that followed, the driver was not seriously injured.
The Initial Crash
According to the Lake Charles Police Department, the situation began around 6:15 to 6:17 Sunday morning when a vehicle struck the barrier in the eastbound lanes of the I-10 Calcasieu River Bridge. That impact triggered a chain-reaction crash involving about four additional vehicles.
Three people were transported to a hospital with minor injuries, according to reports from KFDM and WBRZ. At that point, it was already a serious incident, but what followed is what makes this story stand out.
A Second Incident Unfolds
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While officers were still working the crash scene, debris remained in or near the roadway. Police say a bucket truck traveling in the eastbound lanes swerved to avoid debris or slowing traffic, crossed into westbound traffic, and went over the side of the bridge into the water, according to KPLC-TV.
Importantly, this was not the original crash worsening but a separate incident triggered by the aftermath of the first. Despite the severity of the moment, the driver escaped without injury.
How This Could Have Gone Very Differently
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says the bridge stands about 135 feet tall, though the truck did not fall that full distance. That likely played a major role in how this ended.
Even so, a vehicle going over the side of a bridge is the kind of scenario that rarely ends this way. Earlier, the right lane on I-10 West was closed for recovery operations and guardrail damage, though officials have indicated traffic impacts were temporary as crews worked to clear and assess the scene.
Video Shows Just How Chaotic This Was
If the footage and early reactions are any indication, this unfolded in a way that is almost hard to process in real time. Viewers described a sequence that kept escalating, from the initial crash to debris scattering across lanes and traffic slowing before the bucket truck suddenly went over the side.
Others pointed out how quickly situations like this can change, where one moment appears under control before something entirely unexpected happens. Multiple crashes, a vehicle off a bridge, and somehow no serious injuries — it is the kind of outcome you do not usually see.