A dramatic collision between a pickup that veered into opposing traffic and a semi truck on Louisville’s George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge ended in near tragedy on March 1, when the semi’s cab and the driver inside were left dangling helplessly over the Ohio River. Thankfully, authorities reacted swiftly to save the driver, and now the individual behind the wheel of the pickup truck is in court, having been charged for his role in the incident. As a result, we have new footage from the semi’s dash cam—and it’s harrowing, to say the least.
The footage, which comes to us via NBC affiliate WTHR, shows the critical seconds leading up the semi truck’s precarious situation. The pickup, which appears to be pulling around a stopped vehicle in the rightmost lane opposing the semi, swings out too far and crosses into the semi’s path. The collision causes the semi’s driver, 26-year-old Sydney Thomas, to lose control, as the big rig shimmies right before turning left, passing through a break in the traffic to crash through the bridge’s railing. Thomas was trapped in the cab for 45 minutes before a firefighter was able to rappel down and hoist her out of the vehicle to safety.
The individual driving the pickup was identified as 33-year-old Trevor Branham, who has been accused of causing the crash. WAVE reports that Branham was driving with a suspended license that day, and he’d previously received a pending charge of driving during the suspension. The pickup was reported by witnesses as having sped on the bridge, weaving between cars, before striking Thomas’ semi. Branham is currently charged with four counts of wanton endangerment and another of operating on a suspended license.
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