THIS TRUCK TRACTOR DANGLED from a bridge on I-45 north of Fairfield after sliding 285 feet down the concrete barrier. The truck driver was uninjured. A truck driver from Dallas took a wild ride down a concrete bridge barrier on I-45 last week, ending with the cab of his tractor-trailer dangling in midair.

The 1-vehicle wreck occurred at 2:48 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 18, about eight miles north of Fairfield.

Escaping injury in the mishap was Nathaniel Coleman, 35, a driver for Zenith Freight Lines of North Carolina.

Coleman was northbound on I-45 when he says a gust of wind caught the box trailer he was pulling, a report filed by Department of Public Safety Trooper Curtis Putz shows.

The truck driver also told the trooper he was eating French fries at the time of the wreck.

A gust of wind caused the tractor-trailer rig to veer sharply to the right and Coleman steered back to the left, striking the concrete bridge railing, Putz reports.

The cab of the rig then jumped on top of the barrier and slid 285 feet before coming to a stop, hanging off the west side of the bridge, the DPS accident report shows.

The trailer stayed on the bridge roadway, holding the dangling cab.

A pair of tow trucks were pressed into service to retrieve the truck tractor.

No traffic citations were issued.