(This story has been updated with new information.)
Southbound Interstate 65 in Louisville near the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge is closed May 4 due to a crash that left the cab of a tractor trailer hanging off the bridge, according to city officials.
Louisville Fire and Rescue crews successfully rescued the driver of the tractor trailer in about 30 minutes after arriving at the scene of the crash, which was first reported at 9:47 a.m., Louisville Division of Fire spokesperson Donovan Sims said in a statement. A rescuer from Louisville Fire was lowered into the cab via a high point rope system. The driver wasn’t injured, according to the fire department.
A crew secures a truck that was hanging over the southbound I-65 bridge as they slowly retrieve it in Louisville, Ky. on May 4, 2025. The driver was rescued moments earlier.
A preliminary investigation showed the trailer was heading southbound when the driver lost control and struck the rail of the bridge, causing the cab to hang over the rail with the driver inside, LMPD spokesperson Dwight Mitchell said in a statement at 10:40 a.m. No other vehicles were involved in the crash. Officials are still investigating what caused the driver to lose control of the trailer.
The eastbound Interstate 64 ramp from the Kennedy Bridge is also closed due to debris on the roadway, according to TRIMARC. It is unclear how long the road closures will last. The closures were still in place as of 3 p.m.
In a news conference hours after the rescue operation, Louisville Fire Chief Brian O’Neill said the department trains its crews for situations like the one on the Kennedy Bridge.
“For firefighters, this is gameday for them,” O’Neill said. “They practice all the time. They’re ready for this. We certainly don’t want to minimize the danger that’s there, but that’s what you hired those firefighters to do. When it’s time to go, they are laser-focused.”
In a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said motorists looking to enter Louisville from Indiana should be cautious while traveling.
This story will be updated.
Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@gannett.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Semi crash on Kennedy Bridge closes SB I-65 in Louisville
