Semi Veers Down Embankment Before Crashing Onto I-95/I-287 Loop

RYE, NY — A dramatic rescue tied up rush hour traffic as firefighters worked to free a truck driver from the wreckage of an overturned truck.

On Thursday, around 5:38 a.m., the Rye Fire Department was dispatched to a serious crash involving a tractor-trailer on I-287 eastbound, past exit 12.

The first units to arrive on the scene found that the semi-truck had veered off of the highway, went down an embankment, and eventually came to rest on the lower I-95/I-287 loop.

Fire officials said that because of the challenging nature of the accident scene, fire equipment had to be carefully repositioned.

New York State Police troopers were already on-site. One officer was in contact with the driver, and was able to provide first aid.

Fire department personnel began to stabilize the truck and extract the driver from the wreck.

Units from Rye Brook and Port Chester were called in to manage other emergency calls, and a White Plains rescue team was dispatched to the scene.

Port Chester-Rye-Rye Brook EMS teams also provided patient care while the rescue was underway.

The driver of the tractor-trailer was freed from the truck at 6:27 a.m. He was transferred to an ambulance and taken to Westchester Medical Center with a head laceration.

Crews remained on scene until 10 a.m., assisting Vincent Service Inc. with the removal of the wreckage, fluid spill containment, and suppression of any hazards during the cutting operations. The scene was then turned over to the New York State Police and the New York State Thruway Authority .

Calling the operation "labor intensive," the Rye Fire Department says that it "extends its gratitude to all responding agencies for their swift and coordinated efforts in managing this complex and challenging situation."