Emergency response crews were searching on Tuesday for the driver of a truck that plunged into the water after crashing on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
The two-axle, six-tire box truck crashed about 8:20 a.m. on the east side of the bridge’s northbound lanes, said Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel officials.
Fire, police, and EMS units arrived to find the vehicle floating in the water, said Virginia Beach Fire Department Battalion Chief Richard Trent.
A box truck floats in the water after driving off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Tuesday morning Dec. 29, 2020, near Virginia Beach, Va. (Jonathon GruenkeThe Daily Press via AP)
Witnesses saw a man get out of the truck and drift westward in the water, Coast Guard officials said in a new release. It was not clear whether the driver climbed or fell out, said Petty Officer First Class Tara Molle.
Coast Guard rescuers joined with the fire department, emergency medical services and police to search for the driver.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is 17.6 miles (28 kilometers) long and runs from Virginia Beach to the Eastern Shore. It features two tunnels that run under the surface of Chesapeake Bay.
A box truck floats in the water after driving off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel Tuesday morning Dec. 29, 2020, near Virginia Beach, Va. (Jonathon GruenkeThe Daily Press via AP)
About 15 over-the-side crashes have occurred since 1984, according to the Virginian-Pilot.