Missing Shorter man found in wreckage at Emerald Mountain Toll Bridge

Workers begin to wrap up the recovery phase of the concrete truck accident at the Emerald Mountain Toll Bridge that cost one life early Saturday morning. Photo courtesy of ALEA

Divers discovered the missing body of the driver of a concrete truck, which plummeted into the Tallapoosa River following a Saturday morning collision with another concrete truck near the Emerald Mountain Toll Bridge, after more than six hours of searching the swift river Monday.

Divers found the body of Lonnie Phillips, 66, of Shorter inside the truck cab shortly after 3:30 p.m. Monday, according to Elmore County Sheriff Bill Franklin.

“It was a long day, but a successful day to finally give (the Phillips) family some closure,” said Eric Jones, director of the Elmore County Emergency Management Agency.

Crews were using the largest tow truck possible to hoist the concrete truck out of the river and place it on the Emerald Mountain Toll Bridge around 6 p.m. Monday.

The accident occurred at 5:38 a.m. Saturday near the Montgomery County line.

“We must have had between 12 to 15 different agencies assisting Saturday,” Franklin said. “Once we notified the man’s family and had them there on the scene, we had a chaplain stay with them all day Saturday until dark.”

The Elmore County Emergency Management Agency along with Alabama State Troopers, Elmore and Montgomery County Sheriff’s units and members of the Montgomery, Wetumpka and other local volunteer fire departments assisted during the rescue phase Saturday.

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“We appreciate all of those who came out and worked in the professional manner that they did,” Jones added.

By late Saturday the operation turned into a recovery operation.

After battling low visibility and swift currents, the Alabama Department of Transportation had bridge divers come in to find a way to connect to the truck and pull it from the river, Franklin said.

Once Phillips’ body was removed from the cab of the truck, he was transported to the Department of Forensic Sciences.

“We want to express our condolences to the (Phillips) family as well as those with Ready-Mix USA, Cemex,” Jones said. “I know those who worked with him were just like family.”

Once the truck was safely pulled from the river and removed from the bridge, the toll bridge was fully open for business for commuter traffic long before the morning rush-hour.