PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Crews have recovered the body of a tractor truck driver who went missing early Friday when his vehicle crashed into the Delaware Memorial Bridge and fell into the river.
Around 3:40 a.m., a bobtail tractor was on the downslope of the bridge heading south into Delaware when it crossed three lanes of traffic and crashed through a concrete wall near the anchorage of the bridge, according to the Delaware River and Bay Authority.
The tractor then plummeted into the Delaware River. A trailer was not attached to it.
Search and recovery efforts lasted until around 4:30 p.m. Friday and resumed Saturday morning.
According to the Delaware River and Bay Authority, both the bobtail tractor and the male driver were recovered from the Delaware River just after 11 a.m. Saturday.
They say emergency personnel “used a Hurst tool to extricate the body from the cab, and Delaware Medical Examiner has taken possession of the remains.”
As a safety measure, a maintenance vehicle is parked on the concrete pad in front of the opening caused by the crash.
The investigation is ongoing.