VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The search continues for a man driving a tractor-trailer that went off the
Coast Guard still searching for driver after truck goes off CBBT
“There is a slight possibility he could still be alive,” said Virginia Sector Captain Jennifer Stockwell with the United States Coast Guard.
Plans for recovering tractor-trailer that went off the side of the CBBT
Just before 2 p.m., on Thursday, CBBT officials say a tractor-trailer traveling northbound crashed through the guardrail and went into the water near the 1 milepost.
Search efforts have been ongoing since the incident first occurred, despite a slight delay Friday morning due to early morning thunderstorms.
CBBT crash video
“The rain delayed our helicopter operations [Friday] morning because of the lightening storms that cam through,” explained Stockwell. “But otherwise, it was not significantly impacted. Visibility is impacted sometimes with the storms but we remain consistent and we are continuously searching.”
The Coast Guard confirmed that the driver of the tractor-trailer was the only person inside the vehicle and believes the trailer was carrying landscaping supplies.
This is not the first time an incident like this has happened on the CBBT. There have been at least five other times in recent years when a large truck has crashed over the side of the CBBT. The most recent occurred in 2020.
Coast Guard searching for 1 person after tractor-trailer goes off CBBT
Stockwell says the efforts have been a multi-agency mission.
The Coast Guard says they’ve had the help of Coast Guard Station Little Creek, Coast Guard Cutter Sailfish, Coast Guard Cutter Seahawk, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, Virginia Beach Police, Virginia Beach Fire Department, Virginia Beach EMS, and Virginia Marine Resource Commission.
Stockwell says they hope to remove the tractor-trailer from the water by end of day Friday.
