GREEN RIVER —The Wyoming Highway Patrol and Sweetwater County Coroner Dale Majhanovich released the names the three who died in Friday’s crash in the westbound Interstate 80 tunnel.
Christopher Johnson, 20, of Rawlins; Quentin Romero, 22, of Rawlins; and Harmanjeet Singh, 30, of Nova Scotia, Canada, died from their their injuries on scene.
“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,” Wyoming Department of Transportation Director Darin Westby said in a statement.
Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County treated 18 injuries from the crash. Castle Rock Ambulance Service reported seeing 18 people at the crash site, with 14 being transported to MHSC.
“Due to complexities in this crash, off-scene investigations and crash reconstructions conducted by WHP are expected to take quite some time,” Tim Cameron, Colonel of the Wyoming Highway Patrol said. “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.”
Work continues to move I-80 traffic off of Flaming Gorge Way and back onto the interstate. The WYDOT’s contractor, DeBernardi Construction, has placed about 3,000 ft. of barrier and expects to place an additional 2,000 ft. by the end of Tuesday. Contractor S & L Industrial has also installed traffic control, signage and other temporary infrastructure to assist with the head-to-head traffic. WYDOT expects traffic to be switched over on Thursday.
WYDOT is also starting the process of soliciting contractors to clean debris and soot in the westbound tunnel, the first step in the process of restoring it to normal operations.
“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 and the WHP are asking people to send video and photos of the crash to grtunnelcrash@wyo.gov
