The decomposition of HOONO in water gives nitrate and a reactive oxidant whose identity has been debated. This oxidant has been argued to be a hydroxyl radical, but reported yields of hydroxyl-radical-trapped products range from only 0% to 40% in different experiments. Other oxidants, including the metastable HOONO*, have been proposed as intermediates. CPMD metadynamics simulations reported here show the mechanism of HOONO decomposition in water and the nature of the caged radical pair.