CHEEKTOWAGA – Firefighters had to extricate a driver from his tractor-trailer truck after it veered off the road and crashed into a ditch along the eastbound Interstate-90 Thursday afternoon.
The crash happened just after 12:30 pm right before the Cleveland Drive exit.
State Police tell Cheektowaga Chronicle that it appears a passenger car sideswiped the tractor-trailer. The truck then went off the road into a ditch, hit an embankment and performed a 180-degree turn, and overturned into the ditch.
U-Crest firefighters responded to the scene and immediately called for assistance from Hy-View, Doyle 2, and Cleveland Hill firefighters.
“The driver’s leg was pinned underneath the A post; the forward most roof support of the tractor. It was a difficult, abnormal and involved extrication,” said Garrett Wynn, 1st Assistant Chief of U-Crest.
The firefighters used special airbags and a heavy tow truck to free the trapped man.
“A heavy tow truck operator was able to assist in stabilizing the vehicle. We were able to extricate the driver despite the difficult circumstances relatively quickly. All involved responders did an incredible job working together in the rescue effort,” added Mr. Wynn.
A team of emergency doctors responded to the scene from Erie County Medical Center to treat the man on the Thruway. He was later transported to ECMC suffering from what police said appears to be a leg injury.
It does not appear that any citations will be issued to the truck driver, but the investigation is ongoing and citations could be issued to the driver of the passenger vehicle.
Traffic on the eastbound I-90 was snarled for around 45 minutes.