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VIDALIA, La. — A motorcyclist miraculously survived a collision with another vehicle on the Mississippi River bridge that backed up traffic for more than an hour on Friday afternoon, authorities said.

Vidalia Police Department Captain Craig Godbold said the motorcycle sideswiped a car and collided with the guardrail on the bridge as it traveled 580 feet after impact.

“The motorcycle rider had injuries to a knee and bad road rash,” he said, adding the driver’s current condition is unknown at this time. “Excessive speed was involved. He’s very fortunate to be alive. He went into the guardrail and the bike started tumbling and flipping down the road.”

The two lanes of the bridge were completely closed off for over an hour at around 3 p.m. Friday due to the accident.

A car behind the crash broke down and there was a wide load trailer behind that, preventing anyone from passing, Godbold said.

“Natchez Police Department couldn’t get up on the bridge because both lanes were blocked,” Godbold said. “It took over an hour to clear everything off of the bridge. A lot of traffic can get backed up in an hour.”