A major crash on Interstate 80 in Northern California ended with a semi-truck hanging 80 feet off the side of a bridge, causing the driver to be ejected below. The crash shut down the freeway for most of the day.
According to KTLA, the incident happened around 10:45 a.m. Friday, August 28, on eastbound I-80 near Floriston in Nevada County. The driver was ejected and fell 80 feet, suffering major injuries.
The truck tore through the freeway barrier, leaving the cab suspended over the edge while the trailer overturned separately and blocked the eastbound lanes. There were no other vehicles reportedly involved.
The driver landed on an embankment beneath the bridge. Since the terrain was too steep for a ground ambulance to safely reach, Care Flight was called in to airlift the driver to a hospital.
Traffic Was Backed up for Hours
The timing made things worse since the crash happened as thousands of people were heading to the Burning Man festival, Active NorCal reported. Burning Man is an annual week-long festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, where it transforms the city into a vibrant city filled with art. Traffic through this stretch of road usually happens every year around the time of this event.
A heavy-duty tow truck was eventually called in to remove the truck and its trailer from the highway.
“Expect significant delays,” CHP’s Truckee office said. “Please slow down, use caution, and give crews plenty of room while traveling through the area.”
The Driver’s Condition and Cause Are Still Unknown
Careflight flew the driver to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, though their condition hasn’t been made public as of now. Due to the severity of the crash and the distance the driver fell, it could be a while before we know the full details of what caused this massive crash to happen.
Investigators usually look into things like speed, road conditions, and mechanical failure in major crashes like this. It took most of the day to get the highway fixed, so hopefully more details will arrive soon.
Reactions Were Split on Who To Blame
Reactions to the crash were all mixed, but most were relieved that no one was fatally hurt, and a lot of commenters prayed for a speedy recovery for the hospitalized truck driver.
Others tried to figure out what caused a major crash like this. Many mention that mechanical issues could be the cause, with one suggesting the crash could trace back to something as simple as not checking the fifth wheel, the coupling connecting the cab to the trailer, before leaving the yard.
You don’t often see a massive semi-truck dangling off a bridge, and it’s a miracle no one else was hurt. Although it still remains to be seen what actually caused the crash, hopefully more details are released in the coming days.