Dangled over abyss

Dashcam shows truck being forced off bridge

(Bild: kameraone)

After a dramatic accident, a young female truck driver was left dangling over a bridge over a river in the US state of Kentucky. A few weeks later, the authorities have now released the footage taken in the vehicle. It shows the dramatic moments when the truck smashes through the bridge railing and the 26-year-old driver has to look down into the abyss. 

The footage was shown during a court hearing. The video shows Sydney Thomas being hit by an oncoming pickup truck on the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge and losing control of her heavy goods vehicle. Her vehicle then smashed through the railing and the cab hung dangerously over the Ohio River.

The driver had to wait anxiously for 40 minutes in the cab dangling over the river.(Bild: kameraone)

Special forces finally freed the young woman from her predicament.(Bild: kamaeraone)

Trailer wedged in bridge
The video shows the driver being thrown around in the vehicle after the collision and screaming in panic. Fortunately, the truck's trailer had wedged itself into the bridge structure, preventing it from falling. Dangling over the river, Thomas had to hold out for 40 minutes before she could be rescued by the emergency services. 

Her opponent in the accident - a 33-year-old man who was traveling at excessive speed - "weaved in and out of traffic", as the police reported. He collided with several vehicles. The public prosecutor's office has charged him with four counts of willful endangerment in the first degree. He also did not have a valid driver's license. The bridge was closed for more than a month after the incident.