Report details chain of crashes in last month’s deadly Wyoming tunnel accident
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Cassidy Wixom, KSL.com
GREEN RIVER, Wyoming (KSL.com) — Investigators released a preliminary report Wednesday detailing the crash that involved 26 vehicles, shut down a tunnel in Wyoming and killed three people last month.
On Feb. 14 about 11:30 a.m., a Toyota Tundra pickup truck was exiting the westbound tunnel on I-80 in the left lane when it spun to the left, striking a metal guardrail. The truck continued traveling west and came to a stop about 150 feet away from the tunnel exit, where it was blocking the right lane and a portion of the left lane, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Snow had fallen that day, causing the speed limit to be reduced to 55 mph. Although the weather was clear at the time of the crash, the roadway was wet, and possible ice and slush were forming near the tunnel exit, the report says.
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A westbound Peterbilt semitruck tried to avoid the stopped Toyota and hit the left side of the tunnel. The semi driver regained control to avoid hitting the Toyota and then stopped on the right shoulder about 450 feet away from the tunnel exit.
The driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee exiting the tunnel stepped on its brakes after seeing the stopped Toyota and started to spin, hitting the guardrail and curb before continuing northwest across both travel lanes and stopping against a hillside beyond the right shoulder, the report says.
Seconds later, a Volvo VNL semitruck jackknifed inside the tunnel while attempting to brake in response to the stopped Toyota, blocking both lanes about 200 feet before the tunnel exit, according to the report.
A Dodge Ram occupied by four people, traveling in the left lane, then slammed into the back of the semitruck. At the same time, a Freightliner semitruck in the right lane “steered into the left lane,” where it hit the tunnel wall and then “collided with and overrode” the Dodge, the report states.
“The entangled Freightliner and Dodge continued traveling west, re-impacted the Volvo’s truck-tractor, exited the tunnel, struck the Toyota, and came to rest after striking the rear of the Peterbilt,” the report says.
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Two people in the Dodge were fatally injured. They were identified as Christopher Johnson, 20, of Rawlins, Wyoming; and Quentin Romero, 22, also of Rawlins.
In the aftermath, several other vehicles collided and a “post-crash fire” erupted inside the tunnel, the National Transportation Safety Board said.
A driver of a semitruck that got stuck inside the tunnel was trapped inside his vehicle and died in the fire. The driver was identified as Harmanjeet Singh, 30, of Nova Scotia, Canada.
An additional 20 people were injured in the crashes, with injuries of “varying degrees,” the report states.
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Because the crash occurred in a confined space, rescue operations and cleanup were especially difficult, Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers said. It took more than two days to remove all vehicles from the westbound side of the tunnel, and the tunnel will need a “long process” of restoration before it can withstand normal operations.
For several days following the crash, traffic was diverted through the town of Green River. As of Wednesday, both directions of I-80 travel were going through the eastbound tunnel.
On Monday, crews from Clean Harbors Environmental Services started cleanup operations for the westbound tunnel. Drivers are encouraged to be especially cautious while roadside crews are in the area.
“The work will include concrete and debris removal and disposal, as well as extensive cleaning and disposal of soot, oil and miscellaneous contaminants in the tunnel,” the Wyoming Department of Transportation said.
The work is anticipated to take a week and should not affect the head-to-head traffic in the eastbound tunnel. Once that work is done, engineers will evaluate the damage to the tunnel and begin repairs this summer. The transportation department is planning to have traffic moving again in the tunnel before the winter season.
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