The driver of a tractor-trailer carrying U.S. mail that plunged nearly 50 feet off a bridge Saturday, landing in the Charles River, will be cited for speeding and a lane violation, Massachusetts State Police said Tuesday.
"We are citing the driver for excessive speed and a marked lanes violations, both of which are civil infractions," state police spokesman David Procopio said. "The investigation is ongoing to determine if any other charges are warranted."
Video released Sunday from the State Police Association of Massachusetts shows the moment the tractor-trailer flew off the bridge, landing in the river near the ramp from Interstate 95 to Interstate 90 in Weston.
The video, captured from a nearby boat dock, shows the terrifying crash Saturday. Remarkably, the truck driver managed to escape without injury.
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The driver was able to get out the truck's cab before it became partially submerged under water and, unable to swim, waited on top of the truck until first responders arrived to help him.
Weston Deputy Fire Chief Justin Woodside said firefighters were quick to respond because they were already out on the road in the area, shoveling hydrants from Friday's snowfall.
"We were able to make an effective rescue," Woodside said. "Our two members went in with suits and we got him and it took about maybe four minutes or so upon arrival."
The driver was taken to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston to be evaluated but no injuries were reported, state police said.
State police and the Weston Fire Department said the tractor-trailer crossed over a ramp before diving over the bridge and into the water below, near the ramp from I-95 to the Massachusetts Turnpike.
The truck was transporting mail for the U.S. Postal Service in Brockton, and U.S. postal inspectors responded to the crash scene later Saturday. Weston's deputy fire chief said the postal inspector would take care of all the packages that crews couldn't recover from the river.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Postal Service said Monday that the truck belonged to a hired contractor. Once the U.S. Postal Inspection Service completes their investigation, all deliverable mail will be turned over to the Postal Service for delivery. They said instructions for those whose mail might have been lost in the crash will be forthcoming.
Heavy duty tows were called to the scene to help remove the truck from the water, which broke in half as it was being pulled out, spilling more packages into the river. Video showed the vehicle rigged to a crane on the highway ramp, and it remained an active scene late Saturday as crews worked to clean up the mess.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
