Driver Saved After Rig Goes Off Wooden Span In Md.

OLDTOWN, Md. (AP) -- A truck driver was pulled from the Potomac River after his tractor trailer toppled off a wooden bridge in Oldtown.

Authorities say the truck loaded with railroad ties plunged into the river just before 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Cresaptown volunteer firefighter Ryan Hill told the Cumberland Times-News that he heard a tapping from inside the cab. He discovered that the driver was trying to break one of the truck's windows with a fire extinguisher. Hill says he climbed onto the partially submerged truck and opened the passenger side door.

The one-lane bridge connects Oldtown to Green Spring, W.Va., and is the only crossing for about 15 miles in either direction. The state Public Service Commission recently approved a toll increase, partly to pay for improvements to the bridge.

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