Truck crashes into, collapses pedestrian bridge on major highway

Paramedics working to remove at least 2 people believed trapped inside the vehicle’s cabin, as rescue services attempt to lift the concrete structure

A truck smashed into a concrete pedestrian bridge over one of Israel’s major highways on Monday night, collapsing the bridge onto the vehicle and trapping two occupants inside the the cabin.

Rescue workers were struggling to free them from under the massive slabs and medics said they appeared to be seriously wounded.

Part of the crane-mounted truck apparently opened while the vehicle was travelling on Route 4 near Tel Aviv before slamming into the bridge, which immediately buckled on the truck. The entire south-facing lane of the highway was blocked by a huge segment of the bridge that had fallen on the road.

Paramedics who arrived at the scene said they believed at least two people were trapped inside the truck, but the collapsed bridge had crushed the cab, preventing them from treating them.

Magen David Adom first responders said they heard the voice of one of those inside the cabin, but were unable to reach him to administer treatment. The driver is believed to be conscious, but his exact medical condition and status is unknown.

The paramedics were later removed from the site by fire department officials worried that the truck could give way under the weight of the bridge and cause additional segments to collapse. Rescue workers were waiting for a crane to arrive at the scene to begin moving parts of the structure.

The bridge, a pedestrian thoroughfare linking the Bnei Brak and Givat Ram neighborhoods, appeared to be empty at the time of its collapse.