Kevin Green, WAVY – VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The driver of a tractor-trailer that went over the side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel (CBBT) Thursday afternoon has died. CBBT spokesman Tom Anderson confirmed the driver died when he was on the way to the hospital.
The tractor-trailer went into the water on the southbound side of the CBBT at mile marker 15 around 12:30 p.m. Navy spokesman Cmdr. Dave Hecht said a crew with HSE 2 out of Norfolk was in the area training when police called for help. That crew responded in a MH-60 Sierra and pulled the driver out of the water. WAVY's Erin Kelly tweeted that officials said the driver was standing on top of the vehicle before he was hoisted into the helicopter.
CBBT officials tweeted Thursday afternoon that the bridge was closed on both sides due to an incident. Both sides of the bridge-tunnel were reopened before 2 p.m.
Bridge officials issued Level 2 wind restrictions Thursday, with winds exceeding 47 mph. There was a Level 1 restriction at the time of the accident.
Under a Level 2 restriction, tractor-trailers must be hauling a gross payload of 30,000 pounds, in addition to the weight of the rig.
Super Doppler 10 Meteorologist Ashley Baylor says the water temperature was 45 degrees Thursday with a wave height between five and seven feet.
The Virginia Trucking Association issued this statement:
We take safety very seriously. It is certainly a tragedy any time we lose someone. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends, and fellow employees of the victim."
– Dale Bennett, President & CEO
Virginia Trucking Association