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Bay Bridge-Tunnel Lawsuit After Rig Plunged Off Span

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — The widow of a North Carolina truck driver who died when his rig plunged off Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in 2017 is suing for $6 million.

The Virginian-Pilot reports the lawsuit filed by Billie Jo Chen against the CBBT says the bridge-tunnel’s own wind and gauge policy should have prohibited Joseph Chen from crossing the bridge.

Attorneys with Pender & Coward, the Virginia Beach firm representing the CBBT, did not respond to interview requests from The Virginian-Pilot.  

Filings in Northampton County Circuit Court show the CBBT is claiming sovereign immunity, which typically protects governmental entities from negligence lawsuits.

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Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.