At around 12:00 pm on March 1, 2024 a Sysco 18-wheeler truck driven by 26-year-old Sydney Thomas crashed and hung over the Clark Memorial Bridge above freezing cold water over the Ohio River in Louisville, Kentucky.
Sydney worked for Sysco, a food equipment company. She was driving the big rig truck on the bridge when a stalled vehicle caused a regular truck to smash on brakes and veer into the Sysco truck head on.
The collision caused Sydney to lose control into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road.
The Sysco truck then ran over the bridge guard rail and suspended into the air over the freezing cold water.
The 18-wheeler truck did not fall into the water. Sydney is heard screaming in the video. Sydney’s seat belt saved her from being ejected from the 18-wheeler truck and plunging into the water.
911 was called and emergency crews responded to a high angle rescue. They immediately assessed the scene and began rescue operations to save the large truck driver.
Through swift and proficient maneuvering, crews safely rescued Sydney by using a crane to lower a firefighter to the hanging truck and strap her in a safety hoist.
The crash caused Sydney to be tangled into the seat belt, so emergency crews had to use a knife to cut her out.
Sydney was rescued in about 40 minutes. The driver of the regular truck was injured and is now in a wheel chair, that driver was criminally charged with traffic violations in this case. Sydney sustained minor injuries and has not been back to work yet.
