A truck driver died when their tractor-trailer crashed through a guardrail on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel and plunged into the water below.
The crash occurred at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 15. The tractor-trailer reportedly went off the west side of the bridge near the North Channel Bridge on the southbound span, just south of Fisherman's Island.
The driver has been identified by Coast TV as 61-year-old Ronnie Andrews from Robersonville, North Carolina.
The tractor-trailer is owned by Perdue Farms, which confirmed the driver's death in a statement Sunday afternoon. The statement said:
"We are heartbroken to confirm that a Perdue driver died following an accident on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge‑Tunnel. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with his family, friends, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time. He had been a valued member of our team, and his loss will be deeply felt across our organization.
"We are cooperating fully with authorities as they continue their investigation."
Video footage by a TV station helicopter showed the trailer split open and some of its content floating in the water.
The last time a tractor-trailer went over the side of the bridge was in June of 2023, when a driver hit the curb and blew a tire before going into the water. The driver in that incident also died.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is 17.6 miles long and connects Virginia's Eastern Shore with Hampton Roads, Virginia. It opened in 1964. Some 4.24 million vehicles crossed the CBBT in 2024.
