![]() A bridge-tunnel district final report on the wreck had yet to be released as of Friday.īut Thomas Perry, owner of Evans Transport in North Carolina for which Chen was driving, finds fault with that calculation. "When the winds are heavy, you don't want to go across anyway."Ĭhesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel authorities maintain the crash stemmed from Chen's calculation error in passing vehicles –– not the wind speeds that day. "All I can tell you is my experience, and I've never had any problems going across there," Brady said. "I think they're pretty solid the way they are," the driver said, remembering an occasion when he had snow on the top of his tractor-trailer and was required to clean it off before being allowed to cross. In Brady's opinion, current weather-related restrictions are adequate. We always look at any major incidents to evaluate if any policy changes could prevent accidents from happening in the first place." "We have wind restrictions all of the time. "The restriction was decreased to Level 1 and those waiting were allowed to cross. Chen, was waiting at the north toll plaza rest area like many other people during the time of the wind restrictions," Anderson said. However, this was the first time a tractor-trailer accident of this nature occurred during a wind restriction, Anderson added. Anderson, deputy director of finance and operation for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel District. The incidents have resulted in 16 fatalities, with only two tractor-trailer drivers surviving the fall, said Thomas R. Since then, 14 vehicles went through the rails and over the edge. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was opened to traffic April 15, 1964, and connects Virginia’s Eastern Shore and Hampton Roads. Chen's rig went over the rail during a Level 1 restriction, which bars passage for "large pick-up campers camper trailers house trailers anything being towed vehicles with any exterior cargo." But the precautions do little to quell the worries of some who make the journey across the 17.5 miles of low-level trestles and tunnels.Īccording to the bridge-tunnel's website, crossing restrictions become active when winds reach 40 mph. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel exceeds federal safety guidelines, according to authorities. The incident raised questions about bridge safety –– and the effectiveness of current crossing restrictions. It was the third time since 2014 that a tractor-trailer ripped through the guardrails. 9, a tractor-trailer driven by Joseph Chen smashed through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel guardrail and into the water below. You just have water on each side of you." "I drive across there just like I drive on any other road. "What it boils down to is common sense," said Brady, who's been driving for Tyson Foods 21 years. If his tractor-trailer is unloaded, commercial truck driver Ronnie Brady says, it is "uncomfortable" to drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in high winds.īut if the rig is heavily loaded, it can easily handle high winds, said Brady, who crosses the span three or four times a week. Watch Video: WATCH - CBBT Accident 911 Calls ![]()
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