VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The driver’s wife who died after his box truck tumbled off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Tuesday morning remembers him as a wonderful husband, father and friend.
Erik Mezick left his home in Fruitland, Maryland, around 10 p.m. Monday, according to his 25-year-old wife, Megan.
The 47-year-old hopped into his Cloverland Greenspring Dairy truck, ready to deliver dairy products to Cape Charles and Virginia Beach. It was a 130-mile journey, a job he had only had since March, WTKR reported.
On his way back north, the world of the family was turned upside down in seconds.
Mezick was heading north at around 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday when his truck crossed the guardrail of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and into the bay at 14 Mile Marker.
The US Coast Guard said witnesses told them that Mezick started drifting west after climbing or falling out of the cabin, into the frigid 45-degree bay.
Virginia Beach Fire, Virginia Beach Police, and Virginia Beach EMS began working with the United States Coast Guard and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Authority to look for Mezick in the water.
The search for the sky and the bay took hours for the man who loved scooters, swimming, collectibles and caring for his 94-year-old grandmother.
By nightfall, the search for Mezick was suspended after an intense 28-kilometer scan of the bay by a host of authorities.
Mezick is survived by his beloved wife and two children, 18-year-old Dylan and 16-year-old Hannah.
“I can say nothing more than that he was just such a great man, father, husband, friend. Everyone who met him loved him from the beginning, he left an impression on so many,” Meghan told WTKR, Mezick’s wife.
The CBBT police are still investigating the incident. Crofton Diving from Portsmouth is trying to get back the truck that drove Mezick from the bay.
“The thoughts and prayers of everyone at the CBBT are with Mr. Mezick’s family and loved ones at this difficult time,” said Jeff Holland, executive director of the CBBT.
“We would like to offer our condolences to this person’s family and friends at this time of tragedy,” said Captain Samson Stevens, commander of the Virginia Coast Guard sector. “We would like to thank the local rescuers for their cooperation and dedication in coordinating efforts and searching with our crews throughout the day.”