A powerful winter storm swept across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Tuesday, coating highways in snow and ice, disrupting travel, and forcing school closures as several states braced for heavy accumulation. In West Virginia, the dangerous conditions led to a dramatic rescue after a tractor-trailer crashed on U.S. Route 35, leaving the driver’s cab hanging off the side of an icy bridge.

The semi, which was hauling bricks, lost control in the early-morning conditions, struck the barrier, and came to rest with the cab suspended over the edge. The crash spilled diesel fuel across the roadway and forced emergency crews to close the northbound lanes for hours.

Responders from multiple counties joined the rescue. Point Pleasant Fire Chief Jeremy Bryant, who oversaw the operation, said crews spent roughly 90 minutes rigging a rope system from a ladder truck to safely reach the stranded driver. After stabilizing the cab, firefighters hoisted the driver upward and lifted him onto solid ground.

Bryant, a 35-year veteran, described the rescue as one of the toughest of his career, noting that the driver’s survival was nothing short of providential. Despite the terrifying ordeal, the driver refused medical treatment and walked away uninjured.

Authorities reopened the roadway by early afternoon as cleanup crews cleared fuel and debris. The incident underscores how quickly conditions can deteriorate under the season’s first major storm—and the lifesaving work of firefighters who confront high-risk rescues when winter weather hits.