UPDATED: Bobtail Tractor Driver Identified after Crash at Delaware Memorial Bridge
Image courtesy DRBA
UPDATED – 07/14/25 – The driver of the Bobtail tractor involved in Friday’s accident at the Delaware Memorial Bridge has been identified as 35 year old Zair Murzakov of Brooklyn, New York. The Bobtail Tractor is registered to XFR8 LLC of West Chester Township, Ohio.
The accident remains under investigation by the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) police department.
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UPDATE – 07/12/25 – 1:45pm – Recovery personnel at the Delaware Memorial Bridge Saturday morning successfully recovered both the bobtail tractor an a deceased male occupant from the Delaware River. The deceased driver is now in custody of the Delaware Division of Forensic Science. Delaware River and Bay Authority officials say around 3:40 Friday morning the bobtail tractor was traveling southbound and for unknown reasons, crossed three lanes of traffic, crashed through a concrete wall and plunged into the Delaware River into about 20 feet of water. The investigation into the identity of the victim, cause of the crash, ownership of the truck cab and other details is ongoing.
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UPDATE- 4:45pm – Due to tide and water conditions in the vicinity of the accident scene, search and recovery efforts of the submerged Bobtail Tractor and any occupant(s) inside the vehicle cab have been suspended for the day. The driver is presumed dead. No further information is available on the driver’s identity or if other persons were inside the cab.
All lanes of the Delaware Bound span of the Delaware Memorial Bridge are now open to traffic. As a safety measure, a DRBA maintenance attenuator vehicle has been positioned on the concrete pad near the collapsed concrete wall.
Search and recovery efforts will resume at 6am Saturday. Further updates to follow as circumstances warrant.
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UPDATED 2pm: This is still an active search and recovery mission. The DRBA engineering department is coordinating with R.E. Pierson (DMB Ship Collision Protection Project Contractor) to utilize a barge and crane on-site to assist with the recovery of the occupant and the Bobtail Tractor. All other responding emergency response agencies and their respective personnel remain at the scene.
DRBA maintenance and marine units in the vicinity of the submerged tractor cab are coordinating to secure the impact area on the bridge and underneath prevent large objects and other unsafe debris from falling into the river where the recovery efforts are taking place.
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UPDATED – 10:25am – DRBA officials say the cab of the tractor has been found in about 20 feet of water. Crews are currently determining the safety of the situation to investigate further. There is no word on the driver.
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A search and rescue operation is underway at the Delaware Memorial Bridge after a bobtail tractor (no attached trailer) traveling southbound into Delaware crossed three lanes of traffic onto the concrete pad and crashed into a concrete wall and went into the Delaware River around 3:40 Friday morning.
Delaware River & Bay Authority officials say the number of occupants in the vehicle are not known. Dive and rescue crews are searching for the cab. No other vehicles were impacted.
The left lane is currently closed to traffic.
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