UPDATE: As of 6:30 p.m., all lanes of Interstate 10 Westbound have been reopened according to Lousiana State Police.
SLIDELL, La. (WGNO) — On Sunday morning, the St.Tammany Fire Protection District #1 began investigating a car crash involving an 18-wheeler and another vehicle on I-10. The crash caused I-10 West on the Twin Span Bridge to be shut down. According to a post made on social media, the 18-wheeler overturned into Lake Ponchartrain while driving to New Orleans from Slidell.
Louisiana State Police reported that they responded to the scene around 7 a.m. The preliminary investigation revealed that heavy rain caused a pick-up truck to travel into the right lane of I-10 West before hitting a bridge rail. Police believe that the impact caused it to hit the 18-wheeler that was traveling in the left lane.
At the same time, the cab overturned into Lake Ponchartrain. Reports show that no one was injured in the incident. The driver of the 18-wheeler was rescued from the water and taken to a hospital to be checked.
According to LSP, milepost 258 was shut down around 8 a.m. Two hours later, police announced that traffic was diverted at LA 422 to alternate routes, including U.S. 90 and U.S. 11. By 12:50 p.m, the St.Tammany Fire Protection District #1 announced on Facebook that the tanker was uprighted.
Police reported that the trailer was removed from the roadway around 1:30 p.m. Shortly after, St.Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office divers and recovery crews began recovering the cab.
By 3:30 p.m., most of the cab was recovered from the water. LSP said traffic will continue to be diverted to U.S 11 and U.S 90.