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A MASSIVE rescue operation is underway after a tractor trailer cab crashed off the Delaware Memorial Bridge and plunged into the water below.
The early morning crash triggered lane closures and has caused delays for commuters heading into the weekend.
The incident happened shortly before 4 am Friday on the southbound side of the bridge.
The truck had been heading from New Jersey into Delaware just outside Wilmington.
Officials say the vehicle involved was a bobtail tractor, meaning it was a semi-truck cab without a trailer attached.
The driver crossed three lanes of traffic on the downslope before smashing through a concrete wall, according to officials.
The impact tore a large hole in the barrier and sent the cab flying into the Delaware River.
No other cars were involved in the dramatic crash, officials said.
The crash prompted in a huge response from search and rescue teams who were seen in the area shortly after the incident.
Search crews have now located the tractor-trailer cab in about 20 feet of water, a Delaware River & Bay Authority official said Friday morning.
There was no immediate word on the condition of the driver.
The search for any occupants continues.
Dive teams from multiple agencies have joined the frantic rescue effort.
Units specializing in search and rescue from New Castle County Emergency Management, the Delaware State Police Marine Unit and Dive Team, Wilmington Police, and DNREC were all present at the site.
The US Coast Guard and Wilmington Fire’s Marine Unit were also assisting, along with Air and Marine crews.
Coast Guard helicopters were spotted searching the water from above as part of the operation.
Authorities have not released any information about the condition of the driver.
It is also unknown if any bodies have been recovered, at the time of writing.
The Delaware River and Bay Authority confirmed the details in a statement Friday morning.
“The Tractor’s impact collapsed the concrete wall, and the Tractor careened into the Delaware River,” the DRBA said in a press release.
“No other vehicles were impacted.”
The DRBA owns and operates the bridge and several other transportation facilities in Delaware and New Jersey.
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the crash and confirm the identity and number of the cab’s occupants.
No bodies have been recovered as of Friday morning.
Traffic delays on the Delaware-bound span of the bridge are now clear, officials confirmed.
