A tractor-trailer carrying US mail plummeted into the Charles River in Weston Saturday morning, after it went off the road and down an embankment near the offramp from Interstate 95 to the Massachusetts Turnpike, State Police said.
State troopers were called to the area at 11:48 a.m. for a report of a truck in the water, said David Procopio, a spokesman for State Police, in an e-mail.
The truck’s driver was standing atop the vehicle in the water and told first responders he couldn’t swim, according to Procopio.
Weston firefighters were able to rescue the man and bring him to land, Procopio said. He was not injured but he was taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital for evaluation, Procopio said.
The US Postal Inspection Service was notified about the crash and officials responded to the scene, he said.
In a statement, postal officials said the inspection division is investigating the crash with state and local police. “The disposition of any mail on board will be determined by Postal Inspectors once their investigation is completed,” the statement said.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Procopio said.
The ramp was closed for most of the day and was reopened at 10:06 p.m, State Police said.
Several heavy-duty tow trucks came to the scene to remove the tractor-trailer from the water, the department said. The State Police dive team was also assisting in the recovery.
Procopio said as of 3 p.m., divers were in the river rigging slings underwater, under the cab of the truck, to help facilitate its recovery. The truck’s fuel appeared to be contained, as the river had not taken on a sheen, he said.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @charliemckenna9.