A Tallahassee father is in critical condition after jumping from an overpass to avoid getting hit by a semi-truck during a six-vehicle chain reaction collision on Interstate 10 early Monday morning.
It triggered a large-scale rescue operation that closed traffic eastbound for six hours and involved multiple agencies, a crane, and rescuers hoisting the driver in the air on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance.
It all began at about 6:40 a.m. Monday in Gadsden County near mile marker 185 at Little River Bridge Overpass. A 44-year-old Massachusetts man was driving a Toyota sedan and lost control during rainy weather and crashed. A second vehicle driven by a Tallahassee woman and her four young daughters was unable to avoid the sedan and crashed into it.
Her husband, a 39-year-old Tallahassee man, pulled his work truck over and exited the vehicle to help his wife and kids, who sustained only minor injuries in the crash. At about that time, the driver of a semi truck and trailer was quickly approaching the crash scene and was unable to stop in time.
“(The) Dad who originally pulled over realized he was about to be struck by the semi tractor/ trailer, jumpedover the bridge rail and fell 40 plus feet to the ground,” FHP wrote in the preliminary accident report. In the moments that followed, three more vehicles crashed into the pileup.
“All vehicles came to final rest across all lanes of travel,” FHP wrote.
When first responders arrived, they provided medical attention to six people on the scene with minor injuries and launched a rescue operation.
Gretna Fire and Rescue Chief Danny Hunter, meanwhile, led a crew from Midway Fire, Quincy Fire Department and Gadsden County Emergency Services down the embankment to stabilize the father for transport. The City of Tallahassee Fire Department deployed heavy rescue equipment to help secure and rescue the patient “with their outstanding high angle rescue abilities,” according to a post from Gretna Fire.
“The patient was trauma alerted to Tallahassee for critical care of their injuries,” Gretna Fire wrote.
Arianna Otero is a trending and breaking news reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact her via email at AOtero@tallahassee.com and follow her on X: @ari_v_otero.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Rescue on I-10: Man jumps off overpass to avoid semi collision
