CRESTVIEW, Fla., July 12, 2024—The bridge over Wilkerson Bluff Road and westbound Interstate 10 were closed late last night when a dump truck struck the bridge with its bed still raised.

According to a Florida Highway Patrol news release, the dump truck driver, 65, appeared to suffer a medical event while operating his vehicle around 11:10 p.m.

After leaving the I-10 interchange site, he failed to lower his dump bed which struck the Wilkerson Bluff overpass.

The bridge strike caused significant damage to the bridge.

A second truck following was hit with falling debris, severely damaging his vehicle; however, the driver was unharmed, according to the news release.

After hitting the bridge, the driver continued westbound until driving off the interstate and into the tree line. He was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered serious injuries to his face and head as a result of the crash and was airlifted to a nearby hospital.

All westbound traffic is being detoured off I-10 at the Crestview exit to the Holt exit. Vehicles traveling south on Wilkerson Bluff Road from U.S. Highway 90 are finding out the road is closed at Suzanne Circle once they get to the bridge and have to make a U-turn back to the highway.

Westbound traffic on I-10 is backed up about a mile and a half east of the Crestview exit.

Florida Department of Transportation and the Okaloosa County Roads Department were notified of the accident and are on scene inspecting the integrity of the bridge.

It is unknown when the bridge will be reopened.

The last time the bridge was hit and Wilkerson Bluff road was closed was in July 2017 when a raised dump truck bed struck the bridge from I-10. No one was injured in the incident. It was also closed in 2014 due to a raised dump truck bed, however, the driver did not survive the accident.