The Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) has released the identities of the three people who lost their lives in Friday’s fatal multi-vehicle crash in the tunnels near Green River.
On February 18, WYDOT released the identities of the deceased in the February 14 multi-vehicle pileup on I-80 through the westbound Green River Tunnel in Green River, Wyoming. See below:
- Christopher Johnson, 20, of Rawlins
- Quentin Romero, 22, of Rawlins
- Harmanjeet Singh, 30, of Nova Scotia, Canada
“Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the community of Rawlins and to the families, friends, and loved ones of all three of these individuals,” said WYDOT Director Darin Westby.
WYDOT also shared that 18 people were hospitalized with injuries from the fiery crash.
On Tuesday, WYDOT released drone video captured inside the Green River Tunnel courtesy of the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said that progress is being made on the investigation into the cause of the crash, but there is a lot of work left to be done.
“Due to complexities in this crash, off-scene investigations and crash reconstructions conducted by WHP are expected to take quite some time,” said Tim Cameron, Colonel of the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP). “We appreciate everyone’s patience as we examine all the evidence and work toward developing a crash narrative and cause that is as accurate as possible.”
There is no estimated time for the westbound Green River Tunnel to reopen. WYDOT is currently working to secure contractors to remove soot and debris, which will be the “first step in the long process of restoring it to normal operations.”
For now, WHP is urging people to stay out of the westbound tunnel for safety reasons.
“It is imperative that folks stay away from the westbound tunnel for their safety,” Cameron said. “Between the debris that could still fall and serious concerns about the air quality in the tunnel, it’s too dangerous for anyone without proper protective equipment and training to be in the area. We do not want to add any more injuries as a result of this horrible event.”
WYDOT said that it is expected that the eastbound tunnel will open to head-to-head traffic on Thursday in order to help move I-80 traffic out of the community of Green River.
See the graphic below for more on how traffic will move through the eastbound tunnel.
