FLORISTON, CALIFORNIA — A semi-truck driver was ejected and airlifted to a hospital in Reno with major injuries Friday morning after his rig flipped on Interstate 80 near Floriston in Nevada County, leaving the cab dangling over the side of a bridge above a river while the overturned trailer completely blocked the eastbound lanes below.
CHP’s Truckee office said the single-vehicle crash occurred around 10:45 a.m. Photos from the scene showed the severely damaged cab hanging off the bridge guardrail with the trailer on its side across the highway. Eastbound traffic was turned around at Hirschdale Road while a heavy-duty tow truck worked to remove the cab from the bridge.
The driver was flown to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. His condition was not immediately known.
Eastbound I-80 remained backed up well into Friday evening. “There is a substantial traffic backup in the area, and emergency personnel and equipment remain on scene. Please slow down, use caution, and give crews plenty of room while traveling through the area,” CHP said. The highway was reopened around 1:37 a.m. Saturday.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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