ORLANDO, Fla. – A tractor-trailer overturned onto a car on Interstate 4 early Tuesday, trapping the driver of the car and forcing officials to close the interstate in downtown Orlando, according to police.
The crash was reported around 5:45 a.m. on I-4 west near State Road 408. I-4 west was closed at Anderson Avenue, but reopened hours later.
Video from Sky 6 showed the big rig on its side with a white car beneath it.
The driver of the car was trapped in his vehicle for about an hour, Orlando police said. Authorities said they spoke with the man as they rescued him.
"We knew that it wasn't an urgent operation at that point, that he wasn't a critical patient, but we still needed to remove that tractor-trailer off the top of him as quick as possible," Orlando Fire Department Lt. Creed McClelland said about making contact with the man.
A witness also called 911.
"There's a car underneath this 18-wheeler right now," the caller said. "We trying to ... we can hear somebody inside."
"Are they able to get out of the car?" the dispatcher asked.
"No, they're wedged," the caller said. "We've been trying to. We can't move the thing. "We need a crane or a Jaws of Life or something to get them out."
"We have help on the way!" the dispatcher said.
Rescue crews used two tow trucks to stabilize the crash to help get the man out from under the tractor-trailer.
"They had two semi-truck style tow trucks to get out there, stabilize it, then you have crews out there that have to watch the machinery in place, plus all the fire department, their equipment, Jaws of Life," News 6 traffic expert Trooper Steve Montiero said.
The driver was taken to a hospital with apparent minor injuries, police said.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.