January 9, 2016
by
Elise Roberts
The search for the missing driver in the Emerald Mountain Toll Bridge accident has been called off.
According to Emerald Mountain Volunteer fire crews, Wetumpka and Montgomery dive teams spent all day Saturday searching for the driver in the Tallapoosa River. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, State EMA, Elmore County Sheriff’s Deputies, Wetumpka Police and Fire, Emerald Mountain Volunteer Fire, Montgomery Fire and more, all were aiding in the search.
Family members identified the victim as Lonnie Phillips. Troopers say his truck, hauling cement, collided head on with another cement truck on the Emerald Mountain Expressway just before 6 Saturday morning. Phillips truck then flipped into the Tallapoosa River. Dive crews had to call off the search because of unsafe river conditions from flooding.
Now Phillips’ family members are left with no answers. Rhonda McCloud, family member said, “He was the pillar of the family, everybody loves him he’s a cook. He cooks dinner for everybody and he’ll call you up and want you come down and eat. He was a master chief, our master chief.”
Phillips and his family are from Shorter. The family wanted to thank all the crews and volunteers working the scene. So far Phillips has not been found.
Emerald Mountain Volunteer Fire officials say it will be up to the concrete company on how to proceed with recovery efforts. The driver of the other truck was injured, but is expected to be ok.
Article source: http://www.alabamanews.net/2016/01/09/authorities-investigating-deadly-toll-bridge-accident/
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