Police Chief: Blowing Horn Might Have Saved Cops' Lives

Quick action taken by the truck driver involved in the 7-vehicle crash on the Sakonnet River Bridge might have helped save officers' lives and the lives of others this past Monday. 

According to Portsmouth Chief of Police Lance E. Hebert, the unidentified truck driver immediately hit his truck's air horn to warn others in the vehicle's path. 

At the time, two Portsmouth police officers were investigating a motor vehicle accident in the south bound lanes of the Sakonnet River Bridge. The operator of a dump-truck, who was approaching the scene, lost control of his truck, according to a press release. 

One of the police officers was standing outside his vehicle at the time, while another officer was just exiting his vehicle, Hebert said. The air horn gave the officers a warning, according to the police chief. "They were extremely lucky," he said. 

The dump-truck forced a Tiverton Police car into the Jersey-Barrier and struck a total of six vehicles, including two Portsmouth Police cars, during the crash. There were no reported injuries.

The driver, who has not been identified, reportedly told police his brakes failed, reports The Providence Journal. The crash remains under investigation.