LOUISVILLE, Ky. — According to a report from the Courier Journal in Louisville, southbound Interstate 65 in Louisville near the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge was closed on Sunday due to a crash that left the cab of a tractor trailer hanging off the bridge citing city officials as its source.
The newspaper reported that the Louisville Fire and Rescue crews successfully rescued the driver of the tractor trailer in about 30 minutes after arriving at the scene of the crash, which was first reported at 9:47 a.m., Louisville Division of Fire spokesperson Donovan Sims said in a statement. A rescuer from Louisville Fire was lowered into the cab via a high point rope system. The driver wasn’t injured, according to the fire department.
A preliminary investigation showed the trailer was heading southbound when the driver lost control and struck the rail of the bridge, causing the cab to hang over the rail with the driver inside, LMPD spokesperson Dwight Mitchell said in a statement. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Officials are still investigating what caused the driver to lose control of the trailer.
In a news conference hours after the rescue operation, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said the department trains its crews for situations like the one on the Kennedy Bridge.
“For firefighters, this is gameday for them,” O’Neill said. “They practice all the time. They’re ready for this. We certainly don’t want to minimize the danger that’s there, but that’s what you hired those firefighters to do. When it’s time to go, they are laser-focused.”
In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said motorists looking to enter Louisville from Indiana should be cautious while traveling.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
