Driver's body recovered after truck plunges off Delaware Memorial Bridge

On Friday morning, a tractor-trailer cab fell off the Delaware Memorial Bridge into the Delaware River, resulting in a tragic accident. The vehicle crossed three lanes of traffic while heading southbound and struck a concrete barrier, breaking through it before plunging into the water below around 3:40 a.m. Emergency services were alerted, but it's unknown how many occupants were in the cab at the time of the incident. Due to the current situation and the complexity of the recovery efforts, dive teams from several agencies, including the Delaware River and Bay Authority and the U.S. Coast Guard, were dispatched to the scene to search for the driver as well as to locate and recover the cab. As the search progressed, rescue crews found the cab submerged in approximately 20 feet of water. The incident had severe implications for traffic on the southern side of the bridge, with authorities closing lanes for investigation and recovery efforts. It was reported that no other vehicles were involved in this accident, which highlighted safety shortcomings on the bridge. Observers noted that a traffic camera captured the crash, allowing rescue teams to respond quickly. The extensive search efforts continued through Saturday, when first responders successfully recovered the driver's body inside the cab, which had been raised to the surface with the help of cranes and barges. The driver, later identified as 35-year-old Zair Murzakov from Brooklyn, New York, was confirmed deceased. Information revealed that Murzakov's vehicle was registered to XFR8 LLC, based in West Chester Township, Ohio. The cause of the crash remains under investigation as authorities are working to determine why the truck crossed multiple lanes and broke through the barrier. This tragic incident raises significant safety concerns about the structural integrity of barriers on bridges and the protocols in place for vehicles traversing high-traffic areas. Many local residents have expressed concerns about the safety measures on the Delaware Memorial Bridge, with some suggesting that stronger retention barriers should be in place to prevent vehicles from falling off the edge. Investigations continue, and more details are anticipated as the authorities examine various factors that contributed to this unfortunate event.