Apple truck crashes into Skykomish River killing driver

INDEX — Divers found the body of the driver in the cab of a truck that plunged into the Skykomish River three miles east of Index, spilling its load of apples and cherries into the water.

The truck was westbound on Highway 2 around 11 p.m. when the driver crashed through a concrete barrier and plummeted 150 feet down a steep embankment, said Trooper Kirk Rudeen. Both the truck and its trailer were completely submerged. Though no one witnessed the crash, another driver called 911 after seeing debris littered across the roadway a short time later, he said.

A dive team was sent down and found a man's body in the cab of the truck but were unable to bring him to the surface, Rudeen said. Troopers have not yet identified the man and it is unclear if he died from the impact or if he became trapped and drowned, he said. Rudeen did not know the name of the trucking company the man worked for but said it appeared the driver was transporting a load of fruit from Eastern Washington.

Around 7 a.m., Rudeen said emergency and transportation workers were in the process of pulling the semi truck out of the river, where "boxes and boxes" of apples and cherries were scattered along the riverbank and in the water.

Highway 2 was closed for several hours, but was reopened by mid-afternoon today.

The Transportation Department says the work to remove the truck is likely to keep the narrow section of Highway 2 closed until this afternoon.

The Associated Press contributed to this report..