Two people were killed and five others hurt during a multi-vehicle pileup in a Wyoming tunnel on Friday.
The crash happened on Interstate 80 in the westbound Green River Tunnel, Fox News reported. When a fire erupted inside the tunnel, smoke and an exploding tire made it hard for emergency crews to get to the crash site.
In a social media post, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office said it was “urging all travelers to avoid the I-80 tunnels near Green River due to a multivehicle pileup, active fire, and explosion threat.” The agency also noted traffic was being diverted through Green River.
Video footage taken by a driver outside the tunnel shows the massive plume of black smoke rising into the sky after the pile-up occurred:
"MASS CASUALTY" CRASH: Green River, Wyoming, Firefighters have been pulled out of the westbound tunnel on I-80 after a fire damages the tunnel. Two fatalities have been confirmed, "several semis and a couple of passenger vehicles involved."
— Heidi Hatch KUTV (@tvheidihatch) February 15, 2025
Video Courtesy David Brewer Via… pic.twitter.com/DNFv9NtyNX
Authorities said the two fatalities happened outside the tunnel, according to USA Today. The outlet noted that transportation officials said the tunnel was eventually evacuated and the crash site contained.
More video shows the inside of the tunnel during the “mass-casualty incident.” One person appears to grab a rolling suitcase as others are seen running alongside semi-trucks with their lights flashing:
ABC4 has obtained video footage of the mass casualty incident in an I-80 tunnel in Green River, Wyoming. Read more below.
— ABC4 News (@abc4utah) February 14, 2025
Video courtesy of Cowboy State Daily. pic.twitter.com/HetVSOSHnv
The sheriff’s office gave updates in a social media post following the crash:
WHP and local wrecker companies are working to clear damaged and abandoned vehicles out of the tunnel. Traffic continues to be routed around the crash; westbound traffic is being diverted at mile marker 91 and eastbound at mile marker 89 through Green River. Motorists are encouraged to obey posted speed limits through the community.WYDOT engineers are confident in the structural integrity of the eastbound tunnel and its ability to carry traffic again once the westbound crash scene is cleared.
The agency’s post featured images of crews working at the site:
UPDATE: Noon press conference now at Sweetwater County Board of Commissioners’ meeting chambers in the Green River…
Posted by Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office on Saturday, February 15, 2025
In a statement, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said “I am praying for all concerned and their families. I have directed the appropriate agencies to work with the local communities to offer aid and assistance to the injured, to those who have suffered loss, and in support of efforts to resolve ongoing concerns.”
One witness said she was “heartbroken” for the people who died in the crash and for their families, per ABC 4 Utah.
