Dump Truck Crashes Off Interstate Ten Bridge in New Orleans After Swerving to Avoid Collision, Sending Two People to Hospital

NEW ORLEANS, LA — A dump truck plunged off the Interstate 10 eastbound bridge near the Claiborne Avenue exit in New Orleans on Thursday afternoon after the driver swerved to avoid another accident, police said.

The truck broke through a concrete barrier, fell to Claiborne Avenue and landed on the hood of a parked car. No one was inside that car at the time. Two people in the truck, the driver and a passenger, were taken to the hospital and were stable Thursday afternoon.

Witnesses described a terrifying scene as traffic on the bridge came to a stop and the truck went over the railing. New video obtained Friday showed the vehicle dropping from the bridge and striking an SUV below.

Witnesses saw the truck go over the railing in a matter of seconds

Sonja Lady Dedais, who was riding in a car on the bridge with a friend, said she saw the truck break through the railing and disappear over the edge. She sent photos of the crash to WDSU newsroom staff and later said the moment kept replaying in her mind.

Dedais said her friend reacted quickly and hit the brakes as the truck began to go through the barrier. She described the crash as horrific, and said the traffic around her came to an abrupt stop when the dump truck hit the ground below.

The newly released video from Friday shows the vehicle plunging from the bridge toward an SUV below. In the footage, the SUV’s driver can be seen reaching into the vehicle as the crash unfolds, then walking away from the scene afterward.

Police say the driver swerved to avoid another crash on the overpass

New Orleans police Capt. Kendrick Allen said officers were called to the intersection of Claiborne Avenue and St. Bernard Avenue at about 2:30 p.m. Thursday. When they arrived, they found the dump truck on its side, with construction materials and fuel spilling onto the street.

Allen said the driver swerved in a defensive move to avoid an accident on the overpass. He said that action caused the truck to go over the edge of the bridge and land on Claiborne Avenue below.

Allen also said the truck driver is unlikely to face citations. At the scene, he stressed how much worse the outcome could have been because the intersection is usually busy and the timing happened to spare pedestrians and other motorists.

Emergency crews blocked the street and took both occupants to the hospital

First responders transported the truck’s driver and passenger to the hospital after the crash. Authorities said both were stable as of Thursday afternoon, though no additional update on the SUV driver’s condition was provided Friday.

Emergency crews also dealt with the spill from the truck once it came to rest on the street. The vehicle had landed on its side, creating a cleanup scene that included construction debris and fuel across the roadway.

Officials said nobody was inside the parked car the truck struck after falling from the bridge. That detail likely prevented the incident from becoming even more serious.

Transportation crews placed barriers while lane closures continued on Interstate Ten

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development moved temporary water-filled barriers into place along the hole left in the I-10 barricade. The temporary protection is intended to stay up until permanent repairs can be made.

As of Thursday night, the two right lanes of I-10 east remained blocked near the Claiborne Avenue exit. Drivers heading toward Slidell or New Orleans East were told to avoid the area and use an alternate route.

DOTD advised motorists to take I-10 to West End and then use Interstate 610 instead. The agency said it is evaluating how to repair the guardrails as quickly as possible, but no repair schedule had been confirmed Friday.

City leaders praised responders as repair options are reviewed

Mayor Helena Moreno said the crash was an incredibly serious accident and said she was grateful that no lives were lost. In a statement from France, where she planned to watch the New Orleans Saints play the Pittsburgh Steelers, she thanked first responders, medical professionals and cleanup crews for their quick work.

Officials said the department is considering whether the bridge guardrail repair can be folded into an existing contract for work on other parts of the interstate. That would speed up repairs, although transportation officials have not confirmed whether that approach will be used.

For now, investigators are still asking drivers to steer clear of the area while crews continue cleanup and assess the damage to the bridge barrier and roadway below.