A semi-trailer cab headed southbound on the Delaware Memorial Bridge crossed three lanes of traffic, hit a concrete wall, and fell into the Delaware River early Friday.
Officials have been working the scene of the crash; the Delaware River & Bay Authority (DRBA) said authorities found the cab in 20 feet of water, but have not yet found the driver, ABC 6 reported.
The semi-trailer cab was not pulling a trailer at the time.
Tractor trailer cab falls off Delaware Memorial Bridge into river; rescue efforts underway https://t.co/85OeACQQDG
— NBC DFW (@NBCDFW) July 11, 2025
Officials noted the accident occurred on the downslope of the bridge and no other vehicles were involved in the wreck, per NBC Philadelphia.
An image shows the place where the semi-trailer cab went through the concrete wall:
Incident Update-The Bobtail Tractor truck cab has been located in the river. DRBA would like to thank all local, regional & federal emergency search & rescue teams that are assisting on-site. #netDE #netNJ pic.twitter.com/Py3izJCAnT
— Delaware Memorial Bridge (@demembridge) July 11, 2025
The NBC report said:
Search and rescue units are at the scene, including dive teams from New Castle County Emergency Management, State of Delaware Special Operations Dive Team, Delaware State Police Marine Unit / Dive Team, Wilmington Police, Holloway Terrace and Minquadale Fire Companies, DNREC, Wilmington Fire Marine Unit and U.S. Coast Guard Air and Marine units.
The outlet also noted the divers were assessing the safety of the underwater scene before approaching it to continue their investigation.
An additional clip shows emergency crews at the scene and traffic moving by at a slow pace. One officer assessing the portion of the bridge where the semi-cab crashed told the person filming “Go! Come on man, just keep driving”:
A truck crashed through concrete wall of Delaware Memorial Bridge at 3:40am “and the tractor careened into the Delaware River. The number of occupants in the vehicle is unknown. Area search & rescue units are on scene, including dive teams.” Delaware River & Bay Authority says. pic.twitter.com/w2edOsDZPp
— Steve Keeley (@KeeleyFox29) July 11, 2025
The NBC report identified the crash vehicle as a bobtail tractor, which refers to a semitruck when it does not have a trailer attached. “Officials said that at this time, the number of people in the tractor is unknown,” the article read.
In 2021, a similar incident happened when a pickup truck careened off an interstate ramp near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during snowy weather and crashed onto the ground below. The driver survived the ordeal, according to Breitbart News.
