HAMPTON, Va. — A fiery crash inside the Eastbound tunnel of the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel Saturday evening led to a closure that lasted over five hours and caused a miles-long backup on I-64 in Hampton.
According to a spokesperson for Virginia State Police, this started at around 5:15 p.m. when a multi-vehicle crash took place inside the tunnel. This caused a chain reaction involving several vehicles.
Several of the vehicles involved then caught fire, which in turn, created heavy smoke within the tube. The fire also caused damage to the inside of the tunnel, which VDOT had to repair before it could be reopened.
The spokesperson said at least one person was injured in the crash itself, while a State Trooper also had to be taken to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
Virginia Beach resident Reamie Tabin and her family were driving through the HRBT on their way home from Newport News when they passed the scene around 5 pm. She said she saw a truck and an SUV in the left lane, on fire. She said heavy smoke filled the tunnel.
"It got darker and darker as we were passing through because of the smoke, finally by the time we were able to get out of the tunnel, that's when we heard a boom," Tabin said. "I look at my husband I was like, 'Did we just hear – was that an actual explosion?' He was like, 'Yeah.'"
She said she was one of the last cars to pass the wreck before crews closed the tunnel to traffic creating a big backup.
The crash remains under investigation, according to the spokesperson.
The tunnel reopened shortly before 11 p.m., and the miles-long backup gradually eased.