Jon Johnson Photo/Gila Herald: Debris covers a submerged truck in the Gila River just to the east of the 8th Avenue Bridge.
Another vehicle drives into river and gets stuck
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – At the end of November, a couple from out of the area attempted to cross the Gila River in Fort Thomas and their truck got stuck. On Monday, Dec. 9, Graham County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Gila River near the 8th Avenue Bridge regarding another truck stuck in the river.
This time, the driver was a local man who admitted to having been drinking alcohol but said he only started after his vehicle got stuck.
Upon arrival, deputies located the truck just east of the bridge in the river and the driver and passenger were already out of the vehicle. A deputy noted that the front of the truck was completely under the water and the rear was sticking up into the air.
The deputy attempted to interview the driver but reported having a hard time understanding him because he was slurring his words so badly. The man reportedly advised that he was driving his truck under the bridge when he got stuck in the river so he started drinking.
The deputy asked if the driver wanted a tow truck, but he advised he couldn’t pay for it and that he would have a friend go with him tomorrow and try to pull it out.
Over the evening, the river continued to rise and fully engulfed the truck. However, as of Tuesday, Dec. 17, the truck was still in the river, upended and covered with debris.
