SUFFOLK, Va. — The driver who drove into the water by the Monitor Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel in Suffolk Tuesday is facing several charges, Virginia State Police (VSP) said.
Nicholas Adams, 35, was charged with reckless driving, failure to maintain proper control of the vehicle and driving while his license is revoked. There are further charges pending based on the investigation.
According to VSP, he was driving northbound on I-664 when he drifted into the center median and drove into the water between the northbound and southbound lanes, according to police. VSP investigators believed he was sleeping when it happened.
Police found the vehicle overturned in the water before the entrance of the bridge, about 40 feet from the shore, around 6 a.m. Adams was out of the vehicle and in the water when firefighters and medics got in the water.
His injuries were serious but not life-threatening.
Two bystanders were also in the water helping assist the driver of the overturned vehicle, Suffolk Fire & Rescue said.
Fire Boats and Zodiacs from Suffolk Fire & Rescue accessed the patient from the water and then taken to a medic unit at a nearby marina. The patient was taken to a hospital in serious condition.
