UPDATE: Body of Erik Mezick Found in NC After Truck Falls Into Water From CBBT In Va.
UPDATED – 04/10/21 – The body of 47 year old Erik Mezick of Fruitland has been found – in North Carolina. Mezick’s Cloverland Dairy truck went off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel roadway on December 29th. Witnesses saw Mezick get out of the truck into the water but he was not seen after that. The News Observer reports that Mezick’s body was found on a beach at Cape Hatteras National Seashore on the Outer Banks by a local resident Friday morning. Mezick’s body was to be taken to the North Carolina Medical Examiner’s Office for further investigation.
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2ND UPDATE:
The search has been suspended for a truck driver from Fruitland who landed in the water while crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in Virginia.
The dairy truck left the road Tuesday morning.
The driver was seen out of the vehicle and drifting in the water.
The Coast Guard and several local fire departments and police agencies responded to try to find the man.
178 square miles in all were searched before darkness arrived.
Operators of the CBBT identified the driver as 47-year-old Erik Mezick of Fruitland.
The truck is owned by Cloverland Green Spring Dairy.
UPDATE: Operators of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel provided this update late Tuesday afternoon:
A single vehicle accident occurred around 8:20 a.m. at the 14MP Northbound on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. The vehicle involved was a two-axle, 6-tire box truck. The truck went overboard on the east side of the northbound span between North Channel Bridge and the northernmost island.
The facility has sustained guardrail and curb damage. CBBT Maintenance crews are makingemergency repairs.
A single lane of traffic is currently open in the northbound direction.
The truck was owned by Cloverland Green Spring Dairy. The driver of the vehicle was Mr. Erik Mezick, age 47, of Fruitland, MD. Crofton Diving, of Portsmouth, VA, will attempt to recover the truck on Wednesday, December 30 after marine conditions improve.
The accident investigation is being conducted by CBBT Police and remains ongoing. VirginiaBeach Fire & Rescue and the US Coast Guard are assisting. The search for Mr. Mezick has been unsuccessful so far and will be suspended at dark and then resume in the morning, if necessary.
“The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the CBBT are with the family and loved ones of Mr. Mezick during this difficult time,” said Jeff Holland, Executive Director of the CBBT.
No other details are available at this time. Additional updates will be issued after a cause of the accident can be determined.
ORIGINAL STORY:
A truck landed in the water Tuesday morning after leaving the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel roadway in Virginia.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, Watchstanders at the Sector Virginia Command Center received a relayed 911 notification at about 8:30 a.m. about a dairy truck that left the roadway and entered the water. Witnesses reported seeing a man get out of the truck and drift west.
Crews from the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and local police and fire agencies joined the Coast Guard in the search, which has also involved USCG vessels and a helicopter.
Motorists who are traveling to the area should expect delays.
Anyone with information about the incident or the whereabouts of the driver is asked to contact the Sector Virginia Command Center at 757-7483-8567.
