One Dead, One Injured in Big Rig Crash in Sylmar
One Dead, One Injured in Big Rig Crash in Sylmar
by Contributing Editor
A 51-year-old man was killed and a 61-year-old man was critically injured when a big rig crashed into a pillar that supports an overpass and overturned on the southbound Golden State (5) Freeway truck route lanes in Sylmar, prompting the closure of several lanes on two freeways , authorities said Thursday.
According to the CHP accident report, the driver of the semi heading south on the Golden State (5) Freeway drifted to the left of the road and slammed into four attenuator barrels.
The truck then hit a guard rail and collided with the concrete bridge pillar.
Firefighters responding to the truck route at the Foothill (210) Freeway connector about 11:45 p.m. Wednesday located the crashed big rig with two people trapped inside the cab, according to Nicholas Prange of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The impact of the crash shifted the truck’s load forward, trapping two people inside, he said.
The driver – a Visalia resident – was declared dead at the scene. His name was withheld pending family notification.
The other victim, Douglas Mark Coons of Porterville, was freed from the wreckage and taken in critical condition to Providence Holy Cross Hospital, the CHP said.
The truck was carrying grapes.
The number 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 lanes of the Golden State Freeway at the Foothill Freeway connector as well as the truck routes from the southbound Golden State Freeway to the Foothill Freeway and the southbound Antelope Valley (14) Freeway to the southbound Golden State Freeway were temporarily blocked, the CHP said.
All trucks are being diverted to the eastbound Foothill Freeway. The only lanes opened after the crash were the carpool and the number 1 lane.
The CHP reopened the number 2 and 3 lanes at 4:32 a.m and the number 4 lane at 7:39 a.m.
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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com
