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Driver Hoisted to Safety After Semi Dangles 100 Feet From West Virginia Bridge

A coordinated multi-department rescue lifted the uninjured driver out of the cab during a five-hour operation in heavy snow.

Overview

  • Officials said the crash occurred around 6:25 a.m. on Dec. 2 on U.S. Route 35 near Southside, leaving the cab hanging roughly 80–100 feet above the ground.
  • Crews from Hurricane, Point Pleasant, Winfield, Buffalo, St. Albans, Nitro and Teays Valley closed the highway and mounted a technical rope rescue.
  • Responders rigged three rope systems and used two heavy wrecker trucks, one anchored to the bridge and one stabilizing the semi, to prevent a fall.
  • Volunteer firefighter Westley Quinn rappelled into the cab, secured the driver with a harness, and both were hoisted up without injuries after roughly five hours.
  • Local reports say the truck was hauling bricks, whose weight helped hold the rig, and widely shared video captured the rescue as it unfolded.