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The woman who was miraculously rescued after her truck careened off a bridge in Louisville, Kentucky, two months ago recently spoke out about the terrifying experience.
National headlines covered the accident that sent Sydney Thomas’s semi-truck over the edge of the Clark Memorial Bridge on March 1. A pickup truck crashed into Thomas’ semi and took its suspension out, sending it plowing through the bridge’s guardrail.
Half the rig went over the bridge. The cab where Thomas was seated dangled over the Ohio River while the trailer stayed fixed over the bridge’s edge, keeping the entire truck from plunging into the river.
“This is it,” the 26-year-old mother and military veteran recalled thinking at that moment. “When I went through the railing, I was like, ‘Wow, this is a crazy way to die. I really thought I was going to die,” she told WHAS11 News.
Thomas was trapped inside for 40 minutes, saying that she kept as still as possible that entire time in fear that one wrong move might send the whole truck into the water below her.
“I have to be still because if I move an inch, the truck might shift and fall over,” Thomas said. “My foot was on the brake and I had my hand on the steering wheel and I sat like that for a long time. I was praying, I was crying and I was trying to just stay calm and just hope and pray that they would be able to get me out because I didn’t think they would be able to.”
She said in the worst-case scenario, if the truck had completely tipped over, she would have hopped out of the cab and tried to swim to shore.
It took time for authorities to set up the equipment necessary for her rescue. Firefighter Bryce Carden was sent over the bridge by a harness to save Thomas and they were both carefully hoisted up to safety.
“I have my moments, but God has me here for a reason,” Thomas said. “I have to fulfill my purpose in life, and I can’t let something like that stop me from doing what I’m supposed to be doing for Him. He brought me out of it. He doesn’t want me to live in fear the rest of my life, and I know that.”
Videos and images showing the truck perched over the bridge went viral online. Dashcam video from inside the semi-truck was released publicly this week.
Thomas’s company, Sysco, showed her the video weeks ago. She said it was hard to watch initially, but she’s in a better place now.
“I’m starting to heal and move forward. It hasn’t been that long, but I’ve made a significant amount of progress mentally as far as the accident is concerned. I think I’m doing pretty good,” Thomas said.
Lousiville Police charged 33-year-old Trevor Branham, the pickup driver who hit Thomas, with several counts of wanton endangerment as well as driving on a suspended license. Witnesses told authorities that Branham was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic until he hit a vehicle that was stalled on the bridge, lost control, and hit Thomas head-on. Two people in another vehicle were also hurt.
Thomas said she harbors no ill will against Branham but is satisfied with the charges he faces.
“I can’t hold no hate in my heart,” she said. “We all make mistakes and me holding a grudge or being angry for the rest of my life at him is going to do nothing for me.”
Thomas told WHAS she’ll return to work at Sysco on June 1, but she’ll wait a while before driving another semi. She said when she starts driving again, she won’t ever cross the Clark Memorial Bridge.
