Two workers rescued from bucket under bridge after truck tips

Kirsten Glavin

kglavin@abc6.com

@kirstenglavin

TIVERTON, R.I. – The Sakonnet River Bridge was shut down for more than 3 hours Monday, after an inspection vehicle tipped over, leaving two men dangling under the bridge in a bucket.

According to the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority, the men were trapped in the gated bucket for more than two hours as emergency response worked to get them out.

A heavy wrecker was brought to the scene to secure the overturned vehicle, while another boom truck lowered one man down under the bridge to pull the two stranded men into his bucket. All three were lifted back onto the bridge, and the two men were placed into stretchers and taken away by ambulance.

According to RITBA, both men did sustain minor injuries. 

The authority is investigating how the bridge inspection truck, operated by AECOM in Providence, tipped over.  RITBA stated that preliminary investigation results show that procedures were followed correctly, and that there did not appear to be any problems with the truck’s hydraulics, which are used for truck stabilization.