Overpass Collapses North Of Sacramento

OROVILLE, Calif. Jul. 31, 2007 (KGO) (KGO) -- A FedEx driver whose truck was trapped and crushed when a freeway overpass construction project collapsed is alive and on his way home.

A construction worker who rode the beams 50 feet to the ground also survived. The overpass was being built between state routes 70 and 149, north of Oroville.

Robert Sylvester, accident survivor: "I'm very lucky to be alive quite frankly."

It's a miracle 45-year-old FedEx driver Robert Sylvester from Chico is alive let alone able to leave the hospital. Wearing a "Life is Good" t-shirt, he says he's okay.

Robert Sylvester, accident survivor: "I have just a sprained ankle. That's pretty much the extent of my injuries."

Just hours before, in a desperate race against time, rescuers spent more than two hours trying to free Sylvester from his delivery truck.

He became trapped when an overpass construction project he was driving underneath collapsed on top of his vehicle Tuesday morning around 7:15.

Two steel posts holding up the overpass and weighing 3,000 pounds each crushed the cargo area and the hood, narrowly missed the cab.

Robert Sylvester, accident survivor: "I was alert the whole time. All I remember is it felt like something hit the back of my truck, then something hit the front of my truck. And then I was stopped and stuck inside. That's all I can remember."

As if one tale of survival wasn't enough, construction worker Jeffrey Doll was on top of the overpass project when it gave way, falling 50 feet.

Doll is at a Chico hospital with a fractured pelvis and broken elbow and leg.

Now there's an investigation into what went wrong, with CAL-OSH

A part of the team.

We do know the contractors, FCI Constructors, had just put up this section of the platform overnight while Highway 149 below was closed to traffic from 10:00 p.m. Monday night to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. The road was re-opened for the morning commute when the platform fell, scattering steel everywhere like pick-up sticks.

Curtis Weltz, FCI Constructors: "There's a bunch of different possible scenarios. It's never happened to us before so I can't even tell you without just guessing at what's happened to other contractors, etc. I don't know yet."

Published reports say Benicia-based FCI Contractors is working on several projects in the Bay Area too, including the Bay Bridge eastern span. Its president would not comment on a couple of past safety violations the company has had.

Meanwhile, workers are stabilizing the overpass structure and hope to have the road beneath re-opened by Wednesday morning.

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