A wreck on the Vidalia Mississippi River Bridge at noon Wednesday left a car protruding off the edge of the bridge, and backed up traffic for blocks.

The driver of a 1985 Jeep Cherokee apparently rear-ended a 1987 Chevrolet Celebrity, causing the vehicle to spin and wind up on the guardrail, Sgt. Ronnie Wedgeworth of the Vidalia Police Department said.

“It spun around and the momentum from being hit made it rear up off the ground, and the rear end ended up on the guard rail,” Wedgeworth said.

Vidalia Police had to block traffic to clear up the debris, he said.

“When the windows broke out of the Cherokee, it scattered all the stuff that was inside his car outside,” he said.

“The man is a carpenter, and he had roofing nails and things in his car. There was glass and things all over both lanes.”

Police and a road crew spent about thirty minutes cleaning up broken glass and debris before cars were let through on one lane of the bridge.

It was another half hour before traffic, backed up to roughly Concordia Bank, could flow on both lanes.

The driver of the Cherokee, Larry D. Banks, 175 Doty Garden Circle, Ferriday, was charged with careless operation, Wedgeworth said.

Driver of the Chevrolet, Stephen L. Pritchard, 644 Eagle Road, Vidalia, was charged with driving under suspended license and no liability insurance.

Banks and two passengers were transported by private vehicle to Natchez Regional Medical Center with unknown injuries, Wedgeworth said.

They were able to walk at the time, he said.

Prichard was transported by Vidalia Fire Department Rescue to Natchez Community Hospital, also with unknown injuries, Wedgeworth said.

He said Prichard was transported on a stretcher.

Prichard was not at the hospital at 4:15 p.m. Wednesday.