Man walks away from dramatic crash
Vehicle explosion after plunge from Pitts Memorial overpass rocks downtown
One man is lucky to be alive after his pickup truck plunged about 15 metres off the Pitts Memorial overpass over Southside Road and burst into flames Saturday night.
The explosion was heard all around downtown St. John’s and the flames from the burning vehicle were clearly visible from many areas.
The incident happened at about 9:20 p.m. as the man was driving on Pitts Memorial Drive. He lost control of his truck and the vehicle fell from the overpass, rolled over and shortly after exploded into flames. The vehicle came to rest against a concrete support for the viaduct.
Witnesses reported the fire coming from underneath the overpass, also known as the CN viaduct. The flames rose into high into the night and up past the edge of the viaduct.
A Telegram staffer who lives nearby recorded cellphone video of the incident and reported hearing loud bangs before the car went over the edge.
The resulting explosion brought many in the downtown area to windows facing the South Side where they watched as many first response and police vehicles surrounded the area.
The driver was reported to have walked up to the ambulance when it arrived on scene. Police confirmed in an early morning release Sunday that the driver was located a short distance away from the vehicle. The extent of his injuries were unknown. Police blocked all roads entering adjacent areas and stopped traffic from entering that area of Pitts Memorial Drive until the scene could be secured. The road was closed off for about two hours, police said.
The RNC is investigating the incident. There was no word on the condition of the driver as of Sunday press time.