The “Big Dig” highway tunnel under Boston, Mass., claimed the life of one person and injured one other Tuesday when several sections of ceiling panels fell on their car, crushing it.

Newlyweds Milena Delvalle, 38, of Costa Rica, and Angel Delvalle, 46, were driving eastbound near the entrance to the Ted Williams Tunnel, which runs under Boston Harbor to Logan International Airport, when a steel tieback gave way and dropped over 12 tons of concrete onto their Honda sedan.

Milena Delvalle was killed instantly. Her husband, who was driving, escaped with minor injuries.

Massachusetts Turnpike Authority chairman Matthew Amorello began spinning hard Tuesday to attempt to divert attention from his role in the collapse.

“We feel awful about what happened last night,” Amorello said. “It’s an awful, awful tragedy. … This is an awful situation that occurred.”

The ceiling panels in the affected tunnel were erected in 1999. The steel tiebacks holding them were bolted to the tunnel roof overhead.

Amorello said the contractor was Modern Continental. Representatives of that company and project manager Bechtel/Parsons Brinckerhoff did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment Tuesday.

“Any responsible party will be held accountable for what happened,” Amorello said. “This is an unacceptable, horrible tragedy.” — Associated Press

What Amorello didn’t mention is his long history of getting rid of any contractor who raised safety concerns about the tunnel’s construction, stonewalling anyone brought in to investigate, and then saying the tunnel was perfectly safe.

One hopes Amorello will turn in his resignation. After all, he bears the ultimate responsibility here.

Gov. Mitt Romney said Tuesday that he would take legal action to have Amorello removed from office.

“People should not have to drive through the Turnpike tunnels with their fingers crossed,” Romney said. “Neither I nor anyone else could be or should be satisfied until we have new leadership at the Turnpike authority.”

The construction of the largely complete Big Dig, a tunnel which relocated Interstate 93 under Boston, cost over $14 billion and has been plagued by cost overruns, shoddy government contracted work and local corruption. (Hat tip)