Officials identify 3 killed in weekend Wyoming tunnel crash

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KSL.com) — Officials identified the three people who were killed in a crash inside a Wyoming tunnel that involved 26 vehicles.

Christopher Johnson, 20, of Rawlins, Wyoming; Quentin Romero, 22, also of Rawlins; and Harmanjeet Singh, 30, of Nova Scotia, Canada, died from their injuries Friday at the crash scene, according to a statement on Tuesday from the Wyoming Department of Transportation and Wyoming Highway Patrol.

“Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the community of Rawlins and to the families, friends and loved ones of all three of these individuals,” said Darin Westby, director of WDOT.

An additional 18 people were treated for injuries from the crash at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in Rock Springs, the statement says. Their conditions were not released.

The crash happened Friday about 11:30 a.m., sparking a fire inside the tunnel that destroyed six commercial vehicles and two passenger vehicles.

Wyoming Highway Patrol Maj. James Thomas said two of the people who died were found in their vehicle outside of the tunnel, where the crash came to a stop. The third was found inside the tunnel.

“Due to complexities in this crash, off-scene investigations and crash reconstructions conducted by WHP are expected to take quite some time,” said Wyoming Highway Patrol Col. Tim Cameron. “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we examine all the evidence and work toward developing a crash narrative and cause that is as accurate as possible.”

Weather is being investigated as a possible factor in the crash, as the area had snowfall and some icy conditions at the time.

The tunnel was shut down over the weekend while traffic was directed through the city of Green River. Work on the roads is being conducted to route traffic through the eastbound tunnel later this week.

On Sunday, the Wyoming Highway Patrol finished removing all vehicles from the westbound side of the tunnel. Crews are cleaning debris and soot in the westbound tunnel, which will need a “long process” of restoration before it can withstand normal operations, Tuesday’s statement says.

“It is imperative that folks stay away from the westbound tunnel for their safety,” Cameron said. “Between the debris that could still fall and serious concerns about the air quality in the tunnel, it’s too dangerous for anyone without proper protective equipment and training to be in the area. We do not want to add any more injuries as a result of this horrible event.”

The National Transportation Safety Board opened a safety investigation in collaboration with the Wyoming Highway Patrol into the fiery crash.

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