NEW CASTLE, Del. — Early Friday morning, a Bobtail Tractor traveling southbound on the Delaware Memorial Bridge crossed multiple lanes and crashed through a concrete barrier before plunging into the Delaware River.
The crash occurred at approximately 3:40 a.m. on the downslope of the southbound span near the Delaware anchorage. The vehicle crossed three lanes of traffic, collided with a concrete pad adjacent to the anchorage, and struck a concrete wall. The impact caused the wall to collapse, sending the tractor into the river below. No other vehicles were involved in the incident.
The number of people inside the tractor at the time remains unknown. Emergency response teams are on scene conducting search and rescue operations. The units include dive teams from New Castle County Emergency Management, Delaware State Police Special Operations, Wilmington Police, several fire companies, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, Wilmington Fire Marine Unit, and the U.S. Coast Guard Air and Marine units.
Due to the crash and ongoing rescue efforts, the left lane of the southbound bridge remains closed to traffic. The Delaware State Police and Delaware River and Bay Authority are investigating the cause of the crash.
Photo: drba.net