VA Driver Dead After Plunging Off Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

After searching by air, boat and under water, a car that plunged into the Chesapeake Bay on a Tuesday morning in March 2011 resulted in the driver’s body found dead, according to the Virginian-Pilot.

Investigations remained ongoing to determine what caused the driver, age 51, to drive off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel’s southbound span at about mile marker 8 between the crossing’s two tunnels. At around 8:30 am, witnesses reported a vehicle carrying at least two people, plunging off the bridge-tunnel. Virginia Beach emergency responders found only the driver’s body.

The water was about 40 to 45 feet deep and 50 to 52 degrees, making survival for more than an hour unlikely. Rescuers found a 2007 Toyota Avalon belonging to the driver, of Virginia Beach.

The sedan took out about 10 to 20 feet of guardrail, shutting down both sides of the bridge-tunnel for about two hours. At about 9:15 am, a secondary car crash with minor injuries occurred on the northbound span, when people slowed to observe the search.

Sadly, people speeding or suffering a poor medical condition, such as those having a sudden heart attack, cause accidents with serious injuries or death on the roads every day. Even if investigations determine the cause of why the driver plunged off the Virginia bridge-tunnel, the family or friends of those who died in this Virginia car wreck might have to file a wrongful death case against any responsible parties in order to get justice for the pain they suffered.

The death of a loved one is a life-altering event that may never fully be put to memory. It is troubling to think that, in a split second, lives were lost forever.

To learn more about what to do if you or a loved one is hurt in a car or motorcycle accident, check out our Frequently Asked Questions devoted to the subject.

LC