PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. - One person has died and four others were rescued after a multi-vehicle crash on Woodrow Wilson Bridge, Prince George's Fire and EMS said.
According to Maryland State police, around 11 a.m. a tractor-trailer lost control and struck highway construction vehicles working on Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
The bridge maintenance crew was examining the bridge and used a boom truck that was parked on the left shoulder of the northbound main lanes. The big articulating boom was holding a basket with three workers in it. The workers were right underneath the bridge when the tractor trailer slammed into the truck they were connected to.
Police said some crew members were over the side of the bridge in the aerial platform and a fourth was in the truck operating the boom. In the event of a crash, officials said a ‘crash attenuator truck’ was positioned to help protect the boom truck and its occupants.
That is when police said an empty northbound tractor-trailer lost control and struck the crash attenuator truck, pushing it into the boom truck. Three workers were in the basket when the truck crashed into their vehicle. The workers were trapped under the bridge while both vehicles caught fire above them.
The three workers were all in harnesses and were were safely lowered to a D.C. police boat in the Potomac River below. All three workers are OK.
A third vehicle, parked a short distance away, also caught fire.
The driver of the tractor-trailer was found dead.
"I can only imagine that was not a cool day for them. Probably very scary, being caught off guard," said Prince George's County Assistant Fire Chief Denny.
He said it was a complicated emergency.
"[I've] been doing this job 19 years, I say nothing surprises [me]. This one caught me off guard. It's not normal," said Denny.
The Prince George's County Police Marine Unit was patrolling the Potomac "when they heard a boom and saw an explosion," PGPD said. They tweeted a photo of a worker being lowered onto the crew's boat.
The Marine Unit was able to safely rescue the three construction workers, despite some dangerous conditions.
"At one point the diesel fuel was on fire as it was falling down on the officers," said PGPD Sergeant Charles Perry. "These officers did an outstanding job! They saw danger and rushed right to it. We couldn't be more proud of their quick actions this morning."
Shortly after the crash, a large plume of smoke could be seen in the area. The vehicles have since been extinguished.
All lanes were reopened around 10: 50 p.m.
The cause of the crash is unknown at this time.
