HAMPTON, Va. — A friend of a man killed earlier this month in a crash inside the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel has launched a petition calling for lower speed limits and increased safety measures inside the tunnel.
Thomas Wiley was killed after his tire blew out inside the HRBT. Police say another vehicle, traveling at a high rate of speed, struck Wiley’s car. Wiley was ejected from his vehicle and died at the scene.
Amy Hollandsworth, a longtime friend of Wiley, describes him as gentle and kind. She says they grew up together in Gloucester and recently reconnected at a reunion.
“When I saw him at the reunion, I told my friend Shannon I was going over there to give Thomas the biggest hug. I did exactly that, and it was like all the memories from middle school just came flooding back,” Hollandsworth said.
Those memories are now clouded by grief.
“Very sad, of course. Lots of tears,” she said.
Hollandsworth has created an online petition urging local leaders to lower the speed limit inside the HRBT and consider additional enforcement to improve safety.
Crash data from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles shows nearly 30 crashes in or around the tunnel’s entrances and exits last year. While the data does not specify what caused those crashes, Hollandsworth believes lower speeds and a greater law enforcement presence could help prevent similar tragedies.
“I’m hoping that it will get lowered and it would be a permanent thing, and I would hope that it would make things better,” she said.
The current speed limit on I-64 at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel is 55 mph.
News 3 reached out to VDOT to inquire about the process for changing a speed limit.
A spokesperson for VDOT said in general a change starts with a request to VDOT or the local jurisdiction that has authority over the roadway for which the request is bring maintained.
VDOT then reviews whether the request warrants further evaluation. If warranted, Virginia law requires the decision be based on a traffic engineering study.
A spokesperson said, after every crash involving a fatality, VDOT will review the incident and location once the police report is received. After reviewing the site and the circumstances of the crash, VDOT will make any necessary adjustments to that location as a result of the investigation.
VDOT went on to say they have about 200 state and contract employees working 24/7 monitoring and ready to respond when incidents happen in and around the tunnel.
