A truck crashed into the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel and plunged into the water Thursday, authorities said.
The accident occurred around 2 pm in the northbound lanes between Virginia Beach and the southernmost island, bridge spokesman Thomas Anderson said.
US Coast Guard crews were searching for the driver, the agency added.
A man at a nearby beach told WAVY-TV that he heard the truck hit the water.
“It fell over and there were a lot of waves, a big splash,” Noah Butler recounted.
Meanwhile, maintenance crews were working to repair a damaged guardrail and curb, bridge officials said.
The circumstances of the accident were being investigated. It was at least the sixth time in recent years that a large truck had crashed into the side of the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel, media reported.
The 20-mile-long bridge spans the lower Chesapeake Bay.
