FEBRUARY 17, 2025|
Photo – Green River tunnel after accident – Courtesy WYDOT
The death toll from Friday’s fiery, multi-vehicle crash in the westbound tunnel outside Green River now stands at three. At least five others were injured.
The crash involved 16 commercial rigs and 10 passenger vehicles.
At a Saturday morning news conference held in Sweetwater County, Governor Mark Gordon and other state and local officials addressed the deadly crash which resulted in serious damage to the tunnel’s lining. Traffic detours remain in place in the aftermath of the incident.
Major James Thomas is a Field Operations Commander for the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Major James described what emergency crews discovered as they arrived on the scene.
Dangerous conditions inside the tunnel slowed emergency crews from reaching the injured immediately. The east-and-westbound tunnels, cut through a rock ridge, are listed at 1,138.2 feet in length. Tunnel clearance is set at 16-feet-4-inches.
Driving at the normal posted highway speed of 65 miles per hour, a driver will travel the distance of the tunnel cut through the sandstone formation known as Castle Rock in about 15 seconds. Variable traffic speed limit signs seen in videos shot after the crash show a speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
Events turned out-of-control and deadly shortly before noon on Friday. On Saturday after resulting fires were extinguished, investigators sorted through the wreckage trying to determine what happened.
Major Thomas of the WHP said on Saturday that the investigation will be thorough, but it won’t be quick “because of the magnitude of the incident.”
The investigation will include evidence documentation, mapping of the crash scene and then removal of the vehicles from west to east. The Wyoming Highway Patrol will work with the Sweetwater County Coroner and the County Attorney during the process. Investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation were also on scene assisting with evidence collection from commercial carriers.
According to the Wyoming Department of Transportation, repairing and reopening the westbound tunnel to traffic will be hampered because of the extent of damage to concrete and electrical infrastructure.
At Saturday’s news conference, WYDOT District 3 Engineer John Eddins described the scope of the work to keep interstate traffic rolling through Green River.
Oversized loads will be diverted to Highways 191-28-372, which WYDOT said is the best solution available for now.
After allowing state and local officials to provide the latest information and their perspectives on Friday’s deadly crash, Governor Mark Gordon offered a word of caution to drivers on Wyoming highways.
Sweetwater County officials reported Saturday that all fire crews and other emergency responders, from state troopers to EMS, reported back safely after being deployed to the deadly scene.
Green River Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Bill Robinson summed up the response to the fatal crash scene and thanked the responders for their work.
Eyewitness video shot at the scene shows Interstate 80 was wet with about a half inch of recently plowed snow lining the roadway on both the east and westbound lanes. The sky was blue and partly cloudy. During the videos shot within minutes of the crash, explosions could be heard from inside the tunnel.
One of the trucks involved in the crash inside the tunnel was transporting electrical transformers.
Meanwhile, the east bound and westbound lanes through the Green River Tunnel remain closed Monday morning.
