Driver of tractor-trailer cab that drove off side of Delaware Memorial Bridge into Delaware River identified
The body of the driver who drove off the side of the Delaware Memorial Bridge and plunged into the Delaware River below was identified Monday.
The driver was identified as 35-year-old Zair Murzakov of Brooklyn, New York, according to the Delaware River and Bay Authority. Officials also revealed the cab of the tractor-trailer that Murzakov was driving is registered to XFR8 LLC of West Chester Township, Ohio.
Early Friday morning, the tractor-trailer cab was traveling on the downslope of the Delaware Memorial Bridge's southbound side when it crossed three lanes of traffic and struck a concrete barrier, breaking through and plunging into the water below.
It's still unclear what exactly caused the crash.
Search and rescue crews recovered the 35-year-old's body and the cab Saturday morning just after 11 a.m., according to the DRBA. The cab had previously been located during an initial search Friday.
One major factor that helped responders act quickly: the crash was caught live on a traffic camera, which alerted crews in real time.
"Anybody going over like that, there should be a retention wall for safety purposes," Troy Gross Sr. from Pennsville said. "So no truck can ever do that, no matter what the speed."
No other vehicles were hit or went into the water in the crash.
The crash is under investigation with the DRBA police department.
