--- title: "Incredibly Quick Crane Rescue Saves Semi-Truck Driver Dangling off Bridge" date: "2025-05-06" modified: "2025-05-06" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/incredibly-quick-crane-rescue-saves-semi-truck-driver-dangling-off-bridge" categories: - "News" --- # Incredibly Quick Crane Rescue Saves Semi-Truck Driver Dangling off Bridge ![Commercial truck cab dangling off a bridge in Kentucky after a crash.]() *\Louisville Metro Police Department\* The Louisville, Kentucky, Fire Department sprang into action over the weekend to save a truck driver stuck in the cab of his [semi-truck](), dangling over the edge of a bridge. It's unclear how the driver crashed, but the cab of his truck came to rest precariously dangling off the concrete barrier of the [John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge]() over the Ohio River. A harrowing 911 call and a dramatic rescue followed. The 911 call recording was released to local news outlets. It's heavy, but the marooned driver sounded fairly calm considering the circumstances. "Will you guys please help me, I'm about to ... I'm about to fall down from the bridge," [the driver told the 911 dispatcher](). "I'm just hanging over the bridge. I don't wanna die." The driver was reportedly stuck inside the cab for 18 minutes while waiting for emergency services to arrive. The 911 dispatcher stayed on the phone with him until the rescue team could get there. While 18 minutes doesn't seem like a long time to wait for, say a table at a fancy restaurant, it would likely feel like an eternity while starting more than 300 feet down, with nothing but a windshield and a seatbelt between you and a fatal fall. It's a long time to think about the worst happening, and how every movement, every shake or bounce, could cause the cab's connection to break. So the driver asked the dispatcher to do him a favor just in case. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfAvHg1jxBQ "Please, if I ... if I don't survive, can you just leave the recording for my family, too?" Thankfully, the worst didn't happen, the cab's connection to the trailer held, and the driver didn't fall. Once the rescue team reached him, they lowered a crewmember down to the cab via a rope connected to a firetruck's boom ladder, who then hooked the driver up and pulled him out. Despite his earlier panic, the driver was calm once help arrived. "Once our firefighter got into the cab with him, he was great," LFD Chief Brian O'Neill told *[WHAS11]()*. Aside from the emotional trauma of expecting to plummet to his death, the driver thankfully wasn't injured. He was taken to the hospital but only as a precaution, was released the same night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o5q3Prkeog *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()