Trucker Rescued After Cab Hangs Nearly 90 Feet Off WV Bridge for 5 Hours

A tractor-trailer hauling a full load of bricks slid off U.S. Route 35 in Mason County, West Virginia, early Tuesday morning, leaving the cab hanging nearly 90 feet over the side of the Lower Pleasant-Hartley Road bridge. The trailer remained on the roadway, but the cab dangled in the air with the driver trapped inside for more than five hours as snow continued falling across the region. Multiple fire departments from Mason, Putnam, Kanawha, and surrounding counties responded, using a heavy wrecker to stabilize the cab and deploying a high-angle rope-rescue team to reach the driver safely.

Rescuers lowered technicians down to the suspended cab while crews on top worked to keep the truck from slipping further over the edge. After an intense and highly technical operation, firefighters were able to extract the driver unharmed. According to first responders, the weight of the brick load is what prevented the cab from breaking completely free of the bridge. Despite the dramatic scene and hours-long rescue, the driver refused medical treatment and walked away without injuries. Authorities credited the coordinated response from local fire departments for preventing what could have been a fatal fall.