Man rescued from river after he was ‘knocked off’ bridge in crash Friday near Savannah

A man was rescued from the Savannah River Friday night after he was “knocked off” during a crash around 10 p.m., according to the Savannah Police and Fire Departments.

The man pulled over on the Back River Bridge, just north of the Talmadge Bridge, was struck by a passing motorist and fell into the river, according to the fire department.

There were several other serious injuries in the crash, the Chatham County Police Department told The Island Packet Friday night.

Traffic was closed in both directions starting around 9:30 p.m. Cars coming over the Talmadge Bridge witnessed dozens of police vehicles and ambulances on scene.

Around 10 p.m., the entire corridor was closed and traffic was rerouted.

The area was reopened just after 11 p.m., Savannah police posted on Twitter.

This story was originally published January 18, 2020 at 9:21 AM.

Katherine Kokal

The Island Packet

843-560-9158

Katherine Kokal graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and joined The Island Packet newsroom in 2018. Before moving to the Lowcountry, she worked as an interviewer and translator at a nonprofit in Barcelona and at two NPR member stations. At The Island Packet, Katherine covers Hilton Head Island’s government, environment, development, beaches and the all-important Loggerhead Sea Turtle. She has earned South Carolina Press Association Awards for in-depth reporting, government beat reporting, business beat reporting, growth and development reporting, food writing and for her use of social media.