THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 25, 1995 TAG: 9503250317
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LARRY W. BROWN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: KIPTOPEKE LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
A tractor-trailer plunged off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and fell about 70 feet into the water Friday afternoon after the driver slammed on his brakes to avoid a stopped van, authorities said.
The driver, who was not identified, apparently died in the plunge off the highest point on the 17.6-mile span. Rescuers stopped searching for his body about 5 p.m., after salvaging the truck. The search was to resume today.
The truck, empty after delivering foodstuffs to the Eastern Shore, was southbound toward Virginia Beach about 1:05 p.m. It was on the North Channel Bridge - just south of Fishermans Island - when it approached a van, which had stopped in the southbound lane because of repair work on the bridge.
Lorraine Smith, bridge-tunnel spokeswoman, said the truck driver apparently did not notice warnings that work was in progress ahead. When the driver braked suddenly, the truck jackknifed and tore away about 50 feet of steel and concrete railing on the west side of the two-lane bridge.
The truck plunged into 31 feet of water on the west side of the bridge.
The Coast Guard sent a 41-foot cutter from Cape Charles and a helicopter from Elizabeth City. They were joined by the Navy coastal patrol vessel Chinnok and a Navy helicopter from Oceana Naval Air Station, as well as the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and divers from the Virginia State Police and Crafton Diving, a private company.
The truck was pulled out of the Bay at 3:16 p.m., Smith said.
The truck, which carried the Camellia Food Stores name, is owned by Richfood Holdings Inc. of Richmond.
John E. Stokely, a spokesman for Richfood, said the truck had started its run earlier Friday in Mechanicsville, near Richmond, and was returning.
Traffic was slowed in each direction for about two hours. Both lanes were cleared by 3:45 p.m.
Friday's accident is the 64th fatality on the bridge-tunnel since the span opened in 1964, Smith said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Tamara Voninski, Staff
Rescue personnel search for tthe driver of the tractor-trailer that
sank into the Chesapeake Bay after jackknifing on the
bridge-tunnel.
Color graphic
How It Happened
Map
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE-TUNNEL FATALITY by CNB