A devastating crash on Friday in an Interstate 80 tunnel in southwestern Wyoming killed three and seriously injured five others. According to the Associated Press, the crash at Green River resulted in a “fiery pileup” involving multiple trucks and vehicles both inside and outside the tunnel. The exact number of vehicles involved remains unknown.
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The crash in the westbound tube of a twin tunnel late Friday morning forced the closure of the highway. Traffic was temporarily diverted through Green River to accommodate the disruption.
The crash was initially reported to have caused two fatalities. However, Wyoming officials confirmed on Sunday that a third person had died, per NBC News.
Authorities are actively investigating Friday’s crash while working to clear the wreckage.
The closed tunnel on Interstate 80 could reopen for two-way traffic using its eastbound section as early as Wednesday, according to the Department of Transportation on Sunday.
The department stated that oversized vehicles will continue to follow detour routes. The late-morning crash involved approximately 26 vehicles, including 16 commercial vehicles such as semi-trailer trucks. Eight of the vehicles were completely destroyed in the incident.
Investigation Underway in Devastating Interstate Tunnel Crash
The National Transportation Safety Board announced that it will collaborate with the Wyoming Highway Patrol on the investigation. However, authorities have noted that accessing the Interstate 80 tunnel in Green River has proven challenging.
The pileup ignited a fierce fire that caused significant damage to the tunnel’s lining, officials from the highway patrol announced during a Saturday news conference. As of late Saturday, wreckage from the late-morning crash remained a major obstacle. Meanwhile, the potential threat of toxins released by the fire was still under assessment, according to Highway Patrol Maj. James Thomas.
First responders arriving at the scene were confronted with thick black smoke pouring from the tunnel. As they moved closer to the wreckage, they encountered intense flames. The blaze was so hot that, according to transportation officials, it caused sections of the tunnel’s concrete lining to collapse.
The blaze “prevented some of the life-saving measures,” Thomas explained, per NBC News.
Traffic was redirected through the streets of Green River, a small city of approximately 11,000 residents located in the southwestern part of the state. Interstate 80, which stretches from San Francisco to New Jersey and stops just three miles shy of New York City, runs through this area.