Paul J. Thurber, a Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel employee was killed March 18, 2004 at the tunnel while working on the lighting. He was 48 years old and had worked for VDOT for about a year. He was employed at the Monitor Merrimac Bridge Tunnel and had volunteered to be a member of the Tiger Team to help the HRBT crew get an important job completed.
Reflecting painfully on the death of a member of the VDOT family, acting District Administrator Connie Sorrell said: "This is a horrible tragedy for the Thurber family, all the crew members who were working on this crew and for all VDOT."