Driver Rescued From Truck Hanging Off Edge of Overpass
Photos by Stephen Gates
A “wreck with possible injuries” call to a fire department can be relatively routine—or it can present countless unusual situations. When a tractortrailer rig collided with another truck in Birmingham, Ala., fire fighters had an unusual situation, indeed. The rig was hanging off the edge of an elevated portion of interstate highway, about 30 feet in the air.
It was raining when the accident occurred at 10:19 a.m. last Feb. 15. After the collision, about half the length of the rig broke through the guard rail. The cab-over tractor was suspended from the pin connection of the fifth wheel, with the cab windshield toward the ground.
It was a precarious position. The driver was conscious and apparently not seriously injured. But he understandably feared that the slightest movement might cause the windshield under his feet to give way or cause the entire truck to drop.
Rain and mud
Weather conditions hampered rescue operations. Fire units, first directed to the interstate, found traffic snarled. Diesel fuel mixed with rain created additional hazardous conditions. Radio communications were required between the units on the upper level and on the ground.
A 75-foot elevating platform responded to the ground level to rescue the victim. However, rain had turned the unpaved area into mud and the unit became stuck.
A 100-foot aerial truck was requested. Special care was taken in the placement of men and equipment, and no one was allowed directly under the suspended rig. Meanwhile, cables from a wrecker on the roadway above were looped around the cab of the truck, and slack was taken up as much as possible. The wrecker, however, could in no way try to pull the cab up to safety.
Low-angle ladder
The ladder truck was keeping clear of the soft mud. As a result, it had to extend its ladder at an extreme angle.
Fire Fighter Mike Sewell climbed the ladder to a position beside the driver, who had become very tense, to say the least. Sewell directed him to gently shift his weight while crawling out the passenger side window. After remaining in an awkward position for so long, the driver was somewhat weak in the legs. Once the driver was clear of the cab (and seeing his distress) Sewell considered a basket. Then he asked the driver if he wanted to sit on the ladder a moment to rest. “But he was anxious to get down,” Sewell said. Together they descended the ladder.
Fire department paramedics were standing by, but the driver was only shaken up, not injured. The rescue operation lasted 2½ hours. Careful coordination had been required to keep all personnel advised of the various activities taking place and so personnel would not be endangered more than absolutely necessary.
