The National Transportation Safety Board earlier this week released preliminary details of its investigation into last month’s crash and fire in the Green River Tunnel on Interstate 80 in Wyoming that claimed the lives of three people, including a truck driver.
Snow had fallen earlier in the day, and although the weather was clear, the roadway was wet with possible ice and/or slush forming near the tunnel exit, according to the NTSB.
The NTSB said a 2006 Toyota Tundra pickup truck was in a westbound lane when it exited the tunnel and spun to the left, struck a metal guardrail and came to a rest about 150 feet from the tunnel exit blocking the right lane and part of the left lane.
Following this crash, the driver of a westbound 2024 truck-tractor, also traveling in the left lane, tried to avoid the stopped Toyota and struck the left side of the tunnel. After impacting the tunnel, the tractor-trailer’s driver regained control, avoided impact with the Toyota, and stopped on the right shoulder about 450 feet west of the tunnel exit.
A westbound 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee was traveling in the left lane of the tunnel when its driver observed the stopped Toyota and applied the brakes. The Jeep began to spin, impacted the metal guardrail and curb near the tunnel exit, continued on a northwest trajectory across both travel lanes, and came to rest against the hillside beyond the right shoulder.
The NTSB said, moments later, a 2020 Volvo VNL tractor-trailer was traveling west through the tunnel in the right lane. The Volvo’s driver braked in response to the stopped Toyota, which caused the tractor-trailer to jackknife inside the tunnel and block the left and right lanes about 200 feet before the tunnel exit. Shortly thereafter, a 2012 Dodge Ram pickup truck, traveling in the left lane and occupied by four people, struck the Volvo truck.
At the same time, the driver of a 2019 Freightliner Cascadia tractor-trailer traveling in the right lane, steered into the left lane, where it struck the tunnel wall and also collided with and overrode the Dodge. The entangled Freightliner and Dodge continued traveling west, re-impacted the Volvo truck exited the tunnel, struck the Toyota, and came to rest after striking the rear of the Peterbilt. Following these collisions, several other vehicles collided inside the tunnel, and a post-crash fire was started.
As a result of the collisions, two of the Dodge occupants were fatally injured. The driver of a tractor trailer inside the tunnel was trapped inside the vehicle and died in the fire., according to the NTSB. Twenty other vehicle occupants sustained injuries of varying degrees.
The NTSB said all aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause, with the intent of issuing safety recommendations to prevent similar events.
Credit: Source link
