NORFOLK, Va. - A multi-vehicle crash shut down the eastbound lanes of the Downtown Tunnel for several hours, early Sunday morning, and police say they're beginning to figure out what happened.
Virginia State Police were notified of the crash on eastbound I-264 shortly before 1 a.m. on Sunday. Although it's still unclear how many vehicles were involved, police say emergency responders shut down all lanes on that side of the interstate.
Three were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, according to police and the roadway, which takes traffic through the tunnel from Portsmouth to Norfolk, reopened a little before 4 a.m.
State police say a preliminary investigation found a vehicle speeding through the tunnel lost its bumper, which other vehicles had to slam their brakes to avoid, leading to a chain reaction crash.
Virginia State Police could confirm that 16 vehicles were involved in the crash and 11 were towed to the scene.
The investigation is ongoing. Virginia State Police tell News 3 they're expecting to offer more details as they become available.
