A man from Florida lost his life after his car went over the Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge Tunnel (MMMBT) on Monday morning, shutting down a section of I-664 for nearly eight hours.
The man's car struck another car during a lane change and spun out before going over the wall into the water, according to state police. Police say the body found inside that vehicle was 55-year-old Daniel Irizarry.
WATCH: Florida man dies in crash that sent car off Monitor-Merrimac into water
The incident has raised questions in the community — and on News 3's social media — about why the height of the barrier walls can't be higher to prevent an incident like this from happening again.
News 3 asked VDOT officials about the height of the barrier walls, and what would have to happen for them be raised.
VDOT said in a statement that there are three factors that relate to the height of the barriers:
- Structural integrity and design standards
- Increased impact on vehicle occupants
- Cost and feasibility.
Watch: Vehicle that went off MMMBT pulled out of water with person inside
Higher walls would put more weight on the bridge-tunnel, especially with the concrete barriers being reinforced with steel beams, VDOT said. Higher walls are also more expensive, and the impact of a driver hitting the wall could have a much more severe outcome, VDOT added.
VDOT also says the guardrails, bridge railings, and other roadside barriers are installed in accordance with federal and VDOT design and construction standards.
To read VDOT's full statement on concerns regarding raising barrier heights, click on the link below.
On 3
Full statement from VDOT on MMMBT barriers
VDOT officials say the MMMBT averages about 75,000 vehicles per day, and in the last five years, this is the only recorded incident of a vehicle going into the water from the bridge structure. This means more than 100 million trips across the MMMBT have occurred in five years without a reported vehicle going into the water.
State police say the bridge was not structurally damaged during the accident or the recovery efforts.
