Two Wyomingites died in Friday’s massive pileup and fire inside the Green River Tunnel on westbound I-80.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol and Sweetwater County Coroner on Monday released the identities of the three people killed in the disaster, which involved 26 vehicles and caused extensive damage to the tunnel. They are:

  • Christopher Johnson, 20, of Rawlins.
  • Quentin Romero, 22, of Rawlins.
  • Harmanjeet Singh, 30, of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Another 18 people suffered injuries and received treatment at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County in nearby Rock Springs, the patrol reported. The agency did not disclose further information about injuries.

The crash sparked a fire that burned for hours inside the westbound tunnel, charring the walls and damaging lighting and other electrical equipment. Heavy smoke poured from the tunnel, and falling debris stymied rescue efforts.

Firefighters look into the westbound Green River Tunnel, the site of a deadly wreck and fire on Friday. (WYDOT)

The highway patrol and National Transportation Safety Board are now conducting parallel investigations into the cause of the deadly wreck. 

“Due to complexities in this crash, off-scene investigations and crash reconstructions conducted by WHP are expected to take quite some time,” highway patrol Col. Tim Cameron said in a statement. “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.”

Views inside

On Monday, the state released drone footage from inside the tunnel taken sometime after the fire subsided. A light from the drone illuminates several burnt-out vehicles, some destroyed beyond recognition. Two semi-trucks can be seen, including one with a buckled trailer. Smoke still rises from some vehicles.

The drone turns toward the ceiling, where damaged and deformed equipment hangs from the top of the tunnel. As the video ends, firefighters with flashlights can be seen.

Drone video shows the aftermath of a deadly crash and fire inside the Green River Tunnel. (WYDOT/YouTube)

Other videos on social media show what appears to be the moments immediately after the wreck. In one, a trucker kicks out the windshield of a vehicle as people can be heard screaming in the background (viewer discretion advised).

“So this happened coming through a fucking tunnel,” the trucker says. “I’m in a wreck, this is fucking bad. Oh, the truck is on fire. I have to get out of here.”

Authorities have also disclosed that an off-duty highway patrol trooper was involved in the wreck. The trooper was not hurt and attempted to help people evacuate from the tunnel, according to WYDOT.

Partial reopening Thursday

The crash forced the closure of both the eastbound and westbound tunnels, with highway traffic being rerouted through Green River. The tunnels are each about 1,200-feet long and have been in operation since 1966, according to WYDOT.

Engineers performed an assessment of the eastbound tunnel, which was not involved in the wreck or subsequent fire, on Friday night. They found no anomalies, WYDOT Bridge Inspector Randy Ringstmeyer said at a Saturday press conference in Green River.

Smoke pours from the westbound tunnel on Interstate 80 near Green River on Friday. Authorities confirmed there were fatalities and injuries. (WYDOT/Facebook)

The agency plans to use the eastbound tunnel for both directions of traffic until repairs can be performed on the westbound structure. As of Monday afternoon, contractor DeBernardi Construction has placed about 3,000 feet of barriers to guide traffic, with another 2,000 feet expected to be completed by day’s end. WYDOT now expects to send two-way traffic through the eastbound tunnel starting Thursday.

Even with that fix, there will be delays. Normally, the tunnel’s speed limit is 65, but will be set at 35 mph for head-to-head traffic. Certain oversized vehicles will be restricted from using the tunnel.

Meanwhile, WYDOT is seeking contractors to clean debris from the westbound tunnel, which it called the “first step in the long process” of repairing it. State engineers found no issues with the integrity of the rock surrounding the tunnel, but the concrete lining was damaged by the disaster and must now be examined for any safety issues, Ringstmeyer told reporters.

“It is imperative that folks stay away from the westbound tunnel for their safety,” Cameron said in a statement. “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.”

Joshua Wolfson serves as managing editor for WyoFile. He lives in Casper. Contact him at josh@wyofile.com.

Join the Conversation

2 Comments

WyoFile's goal is to provide readers with information and ideas that foster constructive conversations about the issues and opportunities our communities face. One small piece of how we do that is by offering a space below each story for readers to share perspectives, experiences and insights. For this to work, we need your help.

What we're looking for: 

  • Your real name — first and last. 
  • Direct responses to the article. Tell us how your experience relates to the story.
  • The truth. Share factual information that adds context to the reporting.
  • Thoughtful answers to questions raised by the reporting or other commenters.
  • Tips that could advance our reporting on the topic.
  • No more than three comments per story, including replies. 

What we block from our comments section, when we see it:

  • Pseudonyms. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish, and we expect commenters to do the same by using their real name.
  • Comments that are not directly relevant to the article. 
  • Demonstrably false claims, what-about-isms, references to debunked lines of rhetoric, professional political talking points or links to sites trafficking in misinformation.
  • Personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats.
  • Arguments with other commenters.

Other important things to know: 

  • Appearing in WyoFile’s comments section is a privilege, not a right or entitlement. 
  • We’re a small team and our first priority is reporting. Depending on what’s going on, comments may be moderated 24 to 48 hours from when they’re submitted — or even later. If you comment in the evening or on the weekend, please be patient. We’ll get to it when we’re back in the office.
  • We’re not interested in managing squeaky wheels, and even if we wanted to, we don't have time to address every single commenter’s grievance. 
  • Try as we might, we will make mistakes. We’ll fail to catch aliases, mistakenly allow folks to exceed the comment limit and occasionally miss false statements. If that’s going to upset you, it’s probably best to just stick with our journalism and avoid the comments section.
  • We don’t mediate disputes between commenters. If you have concerns about another commenter, please don’t bring them to us.

The bottom line:

If you repeatedly push the boundaries, make unreasonable demands, get caught lying or generally cause trouble, we will stop approving your comments — maybe forever. Such moderation decisions are not negotiable or subject to explanation. If civil and constructive conversation is not your goal, then our comments section is not for you. 

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. This is more thorough reporting on what’s happened so far than the other outlets published. Well written too.

    Reply

  2. These tunnels are dangerous, people drive to fast, and the speed limit is set to high, I live in Colo and when I drive through the one by Loveland ski area the speed is 50 and people pass me up going so fast. The speed in tunnels should be set at about 40.

    Reply