Crews to search for tow truck that plunged into river after collision on Pioneer Bridge

Recovery crews will work to recover a tow truck from the Sacramento River after searching for more than an hour in swift currents to locate the vehicle that plunged off the Pioneer Bridge after a traffic accident Tuesday night.

“Due to dangerous conditions and the speed of the river ... the rescue operation is being called off and we’re going to be transitioning into recovery mode,” Sacramento Fire Department Battalion Chief Rusty Van Vuren said late Tuesday.

Fire officials believe the driver of the tow truck was the only person inside the vehicle when it fell more than three stories into the fast-moving, dark and cold waters just after 8:30 p.m.

Police, fire and CHP officials responded to the Highway 50 crossing as well as the Sacramento Marina to search for the vehicle that fell from westbound lanes. The accident happened near the highest point of the bridge, officials said, which spans Sacramento and West Sacramento.

Van Vuren said said given the distance between the accident scene on the bridge and the river, the occupants likely died when the vehicle hit the water.

Sacramento Fire’s Drowning Accident Rescue Team used sonar to try and locate the vehicle Tuesday night before ending the rescue search. Officials said that the truck may be as far as 30 feet below on the river’s bottom.

This story was originally published March 26, 2019 at 9:16 PM.