Astonishing dashcam footage shows moment female trucker plunged off bridge after swerving to avoid car and dangled in death-defying accident

Dramatic dashcam footage has captured the moment a semi-truck driver was left hanging over the Ohio River.

Sydney Thomas, 26, was driving over the Clark Memorial Bridge in March when a pickup truck crashed into her and sent her careering over the side of the crossing.

Dashcam footage from the truck was played in court on Wednesday as the pickup driver Trevor Branham, 33, appeared in court after being charged. 

In the footage, the pickup truck was seen swerving out of its lane to avoid hitting a car that had stalled, before crashing into Thomas. 

Thomas frantically avoids the other cars on the bridge with her truck then plowing through the railing on the bridge, leaving her suspended above the Ohio River.

She spent around half an hour in the cab of her 18-wheeler as it dangled over the nearly 100-year-old bridge which connects Louisville with Southern Indiana. 

She spent around half an hour in the cab of her 18-wheeler as it dangled over the nearly 100-year-old bridge 

The pickup truck can be seen swerving out of its lane to avoid hitting a car that had stalled, before crashing into Thomas

Sydney Thomas had been driving over the Clark Memorial Bridge in March when a pickup truck crashed into her and sent her careering over the side of the crossing 

Branham was charged with four counts of wanton endangerment and one count of operating on a suspended license following the incident. 

Witnesses told police that the driver was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic when he hit a stalled vehicle.

The arrest report says he then crossed into the opposite lanes, hit another car with two people inside and then hit the tractor-trailer. 

In court this week,  Assistant County Attorney Liem Sokhon used the new footage as evidence to lay out the case against Branham. 

According to WHAS11, he said: 'This is the result, manifesting extreme indifference to human life, that could result in serious physical injury or death.' 

As Thomas dangled over the river, police moved in to detain Branham who was facing charges for driving on a suspended license in Indiana. 

His attorney Scott Barton has argued for lesser charges, saying there were no serious injuries or deaths. 

In court on Wednesday, the judge presiding over the case decided to keep Branham's bond at $20,000. A grand jury will review the case later next month. 

Rescue crews had to perform a daring rescue on Thomas following the incident, with Louisville firefighter Bryce Carden being dangled from a crane down to her 

Carden was propelled to the scene in a bid to cut her out of her seatbelt, before securing her into a harness and then being raised back up 

Carden went on to recall how the adrenaline didn't kick in until after he pulled the driver to safety 

The arrest report said the pickup truck driver 'drove the vehicle under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, placing himself and other motors at risk for serious physical injury or death.' 

Rescue crews had to perform a daring rescue on Thomas following the incident, with Louisville firefighter Bryce Carden being dangled from a crane down to her. 

Carden was propelled to the scene in a bid to cut her out of her seatbelt, before securing her into a harness and then being raised back up. 

He recalled: 'She was praying a lot and I prayed with her.  We've done some crazy things, but this tops it all.

'Once I reached her she was super calm and collected, and allowed us to do what we do.' 

He went on to recall how the adrenaline didn't kick in until after he pulled the driver to safety - as surreal footage captured his heroics some 80 feet over the Ohio river. 

'In the moment, you don't really think about it,' Carden, a Jefferson County Public Schools graduate, added. 'Your training takes over. Everything slows down and you concentrate on what needs to be done.'