Dramatic dashcam footage has captured the moment a truck driver got stuck above the Ohio River.
Sydney Thomas, 26, was driving across the Clark Memorial Bridge in March when a pickup truck struck her, sending her flying over the side of the intersection.
Dashcam footage from the truck was played in court on Wednesday as pick-up driver Trevor Branham, 33, appeared in court after being charged.
The footage shows the pickup swerved out of its lane to avoid hitting a car that had turned off before crashing into Thomas.
Thomas frantically avoids the other cars on the bridge with her truck and then plows through the bridge’s railing, leaving her hanging above the Ohio River.
She spent about half an hour in the cab of her 18-wheeler as it dangled over the nearly 100-year-old bridge that connects Louisville to Southern Indiana.
She spent about half an hour in the cab of her 18-wheeler as it dangled over the nearly 100-year-old bridge
The pickup truck swerves out of its lane to avoid hitting a car that had stopped before crashing into Thomas
Sydney Thomas was driving across the Clark Memorial Bridge in March when a pickup truck struck her, sending her flying over the side of the intersection
Branham was charged with four counts of wanton endangerment and one count of operating with a suspended license following the incident.
Witnesses told police the driver was speeding and weaving through traffic when he struck a stationary vehicle.
According to the arrest report, he then crossed into the opposite lane, struck another car with two people inside and then struck the tractor-trailer.
In court this week, Assistant State Attorney Liem Sokhon used the new footage as evidence to lay out the case against Branham.
According to WHAS11he said: ‘This is the outcome, which shows extreme indifference to human life, and could result in serious bodily harm or death.’
As Thomas dangled over the river, police intervened to detain Branham, who was charged with driving with a suspended license in Indiana.
His attorney Scott Barton has argued for lesser charges and says there were no serious injuries or deaths.
On Wednesday, the judge presiding over the case in court decided to keep Branham’s bond at $20,000. A grand jury will review the case later next month.
Rescue crews had to perform a daring rescue on Thomas after the incident, which left Louisville firefighter Bryce Carden dangling toward her from a crane.
Carden was driven to the scene in an attempt to remove her from her seatbelt, before strapping her into a harness and then lifting her back to her feet.
Carden went on to recall how the adrenaline only kicked in after he got the driver to safety
The arrest report stated that the driver of the pickup truck “operated the vehicle under conditions demonstrating extreme indifference to the value of human life, placing himself and other motorists in danger of serious bodily injury or death.”
Rescue crews had to perform a daring rescue on Thomas after the incident, which left Louisville firefighter Bryce Carden dangling from a crane towards her.
Carden was wheeled to the scene in an attempt to remove her from her seat belt, before strapping her into a harness and then placing her back up.
He recalled, “She prayed a lot and I prayed with her. We’ve done crazy things, but this tops it off.
“Once I reached her, she was super calm and collected, and let us do what we did.”
He went on to recall how the adrenaline only kicked in after he pulled the driver to safety – as surreal images captured his exploits some 80 feet above the Ohio River.
“Right now you don’t really think about it,” added Carden, a graduate of Jefferson County Public Schools. “Your training is taking over. Everything slows down and you focus on what needs to be done.”