Hammond, Indiana (CBS) — A UPS semi truck caught fire from an Indiana Toll Road bridge and plunged into the Calumet River early Friday morning, but the driver escaped with only minor injuries.
Shortly after 2 a.m., a truck struck a bridge over the Calumet River and started a fire, according to Indiana State Police. CBS 2’s Kris Habermehl said the truck fell between the east and west lanes. By 11:00 a.m., part of the truck separated and fell into the water.
Another part of the cicada was later left suspended by a crane.
The Hammond fire brigade and the scuba crew were contacted because responders feared the driver, a 32-year-old from the southern suburb of Lansing, was in the river, possibly trapped in the cab. Because. However, he was found clinging to a bridge support about twenty minutes later, where he was rescued and taken to St Catherine’s Hospital for treatment of his non-life-threatening injuries.
He was then discharged.
As CBS 2’s Marybel González reported on Friday night, it took a scuba team, multiple fire departments and even a hazmat team to clear the scene. Clean-up crews were searching for debris in the river on Friday night, even in the dark.
Longtime investigators said it was one of the worst accidents they had seen in a while.
Hammond Deputy Fire Chief Bernie Grisoria said, “Today has been a rough day. We see bad accidents, but it was unbelievable to see an accident like this this morning.”
The Grisoria crew was the first to react.
“The cab was basically in the water. There was a fire,” Grisoria said. “It was basically a miracle that anyone survived what we saw today.
However, the driver was only slightly injured.
“We hurriedly searched for the cab of the semi-truck, but found no one. The crew began clearing the waterways, looking for drivers if they were ejected. No luck,” Grisoria said. Told. “Within about 15 minutes, I heard screaming. He was actually hanging over there on a concrete pillar.”
The cause of the crash was unclear Friday night, but UPS said it was pleased the driver was okay.
UPS issued the following statement: “We are grateful that the driver is safe and that no other vehicles were involved. We are cooperating with responding authorities in this ongoing investigation.”
In the meantime, cleanup activities continued day and night.
“When the alarm goes off and you get a phone call, you don’t know if someone needs help until you’re on the scene,” said Bill Misal, the Hazardous Materials Coordinator for Lake County, Indiana.
The Lake County Hazardous Materials Team searched the Calumet River for oil spills. Their first responders said it was teamwork that made the rescue effort possible.
“It’s been a blessed day for everyone to get away from this,” said Grisoria. “It was a miracle.”
I tried to get in touch with the driver to get his side of this tragic story, but was unable to reach him.
Cleanup efforts will resume along the Calumet River on Saturday morning.