Two people died in a head-on collision caused by an 86-year-old woman driving the wrong way on I-15.

Two people were killed Tuesday in a wrong-way freeway crash on Interstate 15 in Victorville.

•   An elderly woman drove a Toyota sedan up an exit ram and onto the I-15 freeway in the wrong direction. 

•   The Toyota hit an oncoming Cadillac head-on.

•   The impact forced the Cadillac into another lane, where it hit a minivan.

•   The wrong-way driver and the Cadillac driver both died. The minivan driver was not injured.

•   The CHP said neither drugs nor alcohol were factors.

The double-fatal car accident occurred at about 10:45 a.m., according to a report  in the San Bernardino Sun.

California Highway Patrol officer Chris Mensinger said that 86-year-old Marie Alessandro of Victorville drove a 2007 Toyota Corolla north up the Bear Valley Road exit ramp and onto the southbound side of the freeway.

Alessandro continued to drive north on southbound I-15 until Palmdale Road, where her car slammed head-on into a 1993 Cadillac El Dorado driven by 6y-year-old John Bushwalter of Helendale. The impact forced Bushwalter’s car into another lane, where it crashed into a 2006 Toyota Sienna minivan driven by a a 68-year-old man from Memphis, Tennessee.

Bushwalter was trapped in his car. Rescue workers extricated him from the vehicle, but he died at the scene. Alessandro suffered critical injuries. She was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital, where she died. The man from Tennessee was not injured. He drove himself away from the scene.

Neither drugs nor alcohol were involved in the accident, Mensinger said.

“It’s tragic and it’s sad,” Mensinger said. “At face value it appears that it was just an accident.

Wrong-Way Freeway Crashes Are Deadly

Hundreds of people die every year in wrong-way freeway crashes, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Thousands more are seriously injured.

Driving the wrong way on freeways has been a nagging traffic safety problem since the interstate highway system was founded in the late 1950s. Despite four decades of highway striping and sign improvements at freeway interchanges, the problem persists.

Most wrong-way drivers correct their mistakes before causing a crash by simply turning around and heading in the right direction. But some drivers, even when sober, head straight into oncoming traffic, often with deadly consequences.

California has a prevention program that funds safety improvements such as warning signs, striping, lights, and ramp designs that aim to stop deadly wrong-way freeway crashes.

If you see a wrong-way driver heading toward you:

• Pull over the shoulder and stop.
• Flash your high beams and sound your horn.
• Call 911 to report the situation.

Victorville Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A logger died Thursday when he was crushed between two felled logs in a remote area of Humboldt County. (Photo: Panoramio)

A 54-year-old logger died in a work accident Thursday when he was crushed between two felled logs in a remote area north of Arcata.

•   A logger died while felling trees in a steep, densely wooded area about 20 miles north of Arcata.

•   No one saw the accident, so few details are known. Cal/OSHA is investigating the fatality.

•   It was the second logging accident in Humboldt County in two months.

The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Juan Eparaza Ruiz of McKinleyville was found dead at 2:30 p.m. near Crannell, an unincorporated community 20 miles north of Arcata, according to a report in the Eureka Times-Standard.

There is no cell phone service in the area, so the employer — Green Diamond Resource Company– was not aware of the accident until about 4 p.m., vice president and general manager Neal Ewald said in a statement released on Friday. California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) spokesperson Patricia Ortiz said the agency weas notified of the fatal accident at 4:45 p.m.

Eswald said the accident occurred eight miles east of Big Lagoon in the Panther Creek drainage, a tributary of Redwood Creek.

“Mr. Juan Ruiz was found by a coworker when he failed to return to his vehicle at the end of the day,” Ewald said in the statement. “Unfortunately, Mr. Ruiz succumbed to his injuries. Mr. Ruiz was an experienced timber faller and resided in McKinleyville. Our deepest sympathies go out to his family and friends.”

Deputy Coroner Roy Horton said the area where the accident happened is densely wooded with very steep terrain. Ruiz had flagged his path to help him get back out.

No one knows for sure what happened because Ruiz was alone at the time of the accident. He and a partner were cutting down trees near each other, but not within eyesight.

Ortiz said Cal/OSHA officials were at the scene on site Friday to conduct interviews, but it will probably take two to four moths to compete the investigation.

This was the first fatality on Green Diamond property in quite some time, but it was the second logging death in Humboldt County in the last two months. In December, 24-year-old Luis Javier Davila Escareño of Eureka was killed while skinning logs in an area off of Wrigley Road in Eureka. The Cal/OSHA investigation of that accident is ongoing.

Logging: A Hazardous Occupation

Logging is one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Only 90,000 workers were employed in the industry in 2009, but 50 of them were killed on the job. That fatality rate – 55.6 deaths per 100,000  – is 16 times greater than the overall death rate for U.S. workers.

What makes logging so dangerous?

 The tools and equipment such as chain saws and logging machines pose hazards wherever they are used. As loggers use their tools and equipment, they deal with massive weights and irresistible momentum of falling, rolling, and sliding trees and logs. The hazards are more acute when dangerous environmental conditions are factored in, such as uneven, unstable or rough terrain; inclement weather including rain, snow, lightning, winds, and extreme cold and/or remote and isolated work sites where health care facilities are not immediately accessible.  [U.S. Department of Labor]

California Workplace Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented workplace accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A 22-year-old man was killed in an illegal street race that wound up on I-15 in Escondido. (Photo: NBC News)

An illegal street race ended in a fatal freeway accident Tuesday on Interstate 15 in Escondido.

•   A Nissan 370Z and a Nissan Titan pickup truck raced onto the I-15 freeway from a traffic-signaled intersection on a surface street.

•   The 370Z driver lost control of the car, hit a light pole, skidded across the freeway, and crashed into the center divider. He died at the scene.

•   The pickup truck driver fled the scene.

•   The CHP is urging anyone with information to call 858-637-3800.

The deadly car accident occurred at about 4:40 p.m., according to a report in the North County Times.

California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said 22-year-old Derek Anthony Millsap of Escondido  was driving a 2011 Nissan 370Z coupe.

Before the crash, the 370Z was stopped next to a Nissan Titan pickup truck with tinted windows at a stoplight on Via Rancho Parkway. When the light turned green, both vehicles raced onto the southbound  I-15 freeway onramp, Bettencourt said.

Just south of the onramp, Milsap lost control of the 370Z and crashed into a metal light pole on the right shoulder of the freeway. The vehicle skidded across all of the southbound traffic lanes and crashed head-on into the center divider in the car pool lane (see photo). The right rear tire hurtled off of the Nissan and hit a silver Toyota Camry.

The Nissan pickup truck which had been racing the Millsap’s 370Z fled the scene. Bettencourt said neither drugs nor alcohol appeared to be a factor in the fatal accident, which appeared to have been caused by illegal street racing.

Millsap was pronounced dead at the scene.

The CHP is urging anyone who saw the accident or has any information about the black Nissan Titan pickup truck to call  the California Highway Patrol at 858-637-3800.

Speed Kills

It is difficult to know exactly how many people are killed in illegal street racing because no official statistics are kept. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists all “speeding-related” crashes, including illegal street racing, in a single category.

The NHTSA considers a crash to be speeding-related if the driver was charged with a speed-related offense or if an officer indicated that racing, driving too fast for conditions, or exceeding the posted speed limit was a contributing factor in the crash.

Speeding-related deaths account for more than a third of all motor vehicle accident fatalities in the United States — and the numbers are staggering. According the NHTSA statistics reported by the Census Bureau, 11,674 people were killed in speeding-related crashes in 2011 alone. That’s almost three times the number of Americans who died in combat during the entire Iraq war. In California, 1,141 people died in speeding related crashes last year.

Motor vehicle accidents are still the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 16 and 20.

Escondido Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

There were two fatal wrong-way accidents within about 12 hours -- and 10 miles -- of each other on Highway 118 near Moorpark. (Photo: Ventura County Star)

Two wrong-way accidents — one of them fatal — occurred within less than 12 hours and about 10 miles of each other on Highway 118 near Moorpark.

•   Shortly before noon,  a car on westbound on Highway 118 crashed into a guardrail, hit a big-rig, and then veered across the highway into the eastbound lanes and was hit by a  second truck.

•   The car burst into flames and was pinned underneath the big-rig. The driver, who was trapped inside his burning car, died at the scene.

 •   About 12 hours later — and 10 miles east of the first accident — another car on westbound Highway 118 crossed over to the eastbound side and crashed into a big-rig.

 •   The car caught fire and the driver was trapped inside. The truck driver, and two others broke he rear window and rescued the man. He was treated and then arrested for drunk driving.

First Crash

The first car accident happened at about 11:45 a.m. Wednesday, according to a report in the Ventura County Star.

California Highway Patrol spokesman Steve Reid said a 23-year-old Glendale man initially was driving westbound on Highway 118 near Saticoy. Witnesses told the CHP the man was speeding and driving erratically on the shoulder as he tried to pass other cars.

The car hit a guardrail on the right shoulder of the highway, and then veered back into traffic, where it crashed into the rear of a westbound big-rig driven by 56-year-old David Arevalo of Moreno Valley, Reid said.

The impact sent the car out of control. It veered across the highway and into the eastbound traffic lanes, directly in the path of an oncoming tanker truck driven by 53-year-old Daniel Sanchez of Oxnard. Sanchez tried to avoid hitting the car but his big-rig slammed into the side of the vehicle, T-boning the sedan.

The car burst into flames, which spread to the truck. Sanchez was able to escape from the truck right after it caught fire. ed minor injuries.

“I don’t even know how I got out of the truck. I’m just glad I did,” Sanchez said.

The other driver was not so fortunate. His blazing car was pinned under the truck, and he was trapped inside. He died at the scene. Authorities said he had suffered massive burn injuries. His name was withheld pending notification of his family.

Second Crash

Less than 12 hours later, at 1:50 a.m. on Thursday, another fiery wrong-way accident occurred on Highway 118, a little over 10 miles away from the scene of the first crash. A second Ventura County Star report stated that 8-year-old Eric Murphy of Goleta was driving a 2004 Acura westbound on the highway near Moorpark when that accident took place.

Just west of Grimes Valley Road, Murphy’s vehicle crossed over onto the eastbound side of the highway and he crashed into the passenger side of an oncoming big-rig driven by 60-year-old Clemente Barrientos of Pacoima. The Acura caught fire. Murphy was trapped in the burning vehicle.

Barrientos and his passenger got out of the truck, went over to the burning vehicle, and broke out the back window, according to a report on the Moorpark Patch news site. With the help of another motorist who stopped to help, they were able to rescue Murpy by pulling him out of the blazing car.

Murphy was taken to Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks to be treated for minor injuries and then he was arrested on drunk driving charges, the CHP said.

Both accidents remain under investigation.

Ventura County Truck Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A UPS driver was killed in a big-rig crash on Cajon Pass. (Photo: Los Angeles Times)

A UPS driver was killed in a big-rig crash Wednesday morning after a speeding sports car hit the truck’s front wheel on the Cajon Pass, causing the semi to tumble down an embankment.

•   An out-of-control, speeding sports car veered across the freeway and crashed into the front wheel of a UPS big-rig on the Cajon Pass.

•   The collision unbalanced the truck, which slid off of the shoulder, flipped over, and plunged down an embankment.

•   The truck driver was trapped inside the crushed cab. He died at the scene.

•   The sports car driver sustained minor injuries.

The fatal accident occurred at 6:53 a.m., according to a report in the Riverside Press-Enterprise.

The California Highway Patrol said 32-year-old Nathan Hebert of San Bernardino was driving  a 2005 Nissan 350Z northbound on Interstate 15 at an excessive rate of speed.

Hebert’s sports car swerved into the center divider near Oak Hill Road. The vehicle then veered back across the roadway and crashed into the UPS truck’s left front wheel.

“It appears the (truck) driver tried to avoid the collision,” CHP officer Hope Maxson told the Press-Enterprise. “But they did collide.”

The impact sent the big-rig off of the right shoulder, where it flipped over onto its side and tumbled down an embankment, Maxson said. The driver, Norwalk resident Alfred Eclipse Jr., was trapped inside of the crushed cab. He died at the scene.

Hebert, who sustained minor injuries, told CHP investigators he had been cut off by a silver Toyota Camry, but that did not explain why he lost control, veered across the freeway, and crashed into the UPS truck.

Police did not make any immediate arrests, but the accident is still under investigation.

Three of the freeways’s five northbound lanes were closed after the accident, triggering a Sig Alert at 7:10 a.m. and snarling the morning commute for more than two and a half hours, according to the San Bernardino Sun. The alert was canceled at 9:51 a.m., the Sun reported.

Truck Driver Injuries and Fatalities

Motorists often presume that truck drivers are safe in most accidents because they are in such huge, heavy vehicles. But in reality, truck drivers also face a high risk of being killed in a crash, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The on-the-job fatality rate for big-rig drivers is, in fact, almost 11 times the rate for the general worker population, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

And the injury rate also is staggering — almost 63,000 every year. That’s the second-highest number of all U.S. occupations.

California Truck Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

A woman was killed when her car was hit by a gravel truck on Highway 18 in Big Bear.

A woman was killed in a truck accident Friday when her car was struck by a gravel box that came loose from a dump truck on Highway 18 in Big Bear, about 50 miles northeast of San Bernardino.

•   A woman and her daughter were driving downhill on a two-lane mountain highway in a small SUV.

•   A dump truck that was headed uphill drifted into the side of the mountain on a curve and the trailer came off.

•   The trailer bounced into oncoming traffic and crashed into the SUV.

•   The SUV driver died at a local hospital. Her daughter was airlifted to a different hospital with moderate injuries.

The fatal highway crash occurred at about 11 a.m., according to a Big Bear Grizzly report.

California Highway Patrol Officer Ben Baker said 37-year-old Leonor “Lily” De Coronado of Big Bear City was driving a White 2006 Kia Sorento downhill on State Route 18 at the time of the accident. Her 16 year-old-daughter, Roxana Fernandez, was riding in the passenger seat.

A Peterbilt dump truck — driven by 51-year-old Fred Riley of Minifee — was pulling a trailer with a gravel box attached. The truck, which was hauling a load of cinders, was traveling uphill when it approached a sweeping curve on the highway. The truck drifted onto the shoulder during the turn and hit the mountainside, causing the gravel box to detach from the trailer.

The gravel box toppled off of the trailer and tumbled onto the roadway, Baker said. The trailer separated from the truck and crossed into the oncoming traffic lane, bounced, and crashed into De Coronado’s vehicle.

De Coronado was rushed to Bear Valley Community Hospital, where she died shortly after noon. Her daughter was airlifted via helicopter to  Loma Linda University Medical Center in Loma Linda to be treated for moderate injuries.

Baker said truck had been inspected on Thursday. He said the accident remains under investigation.

Big Bear Truck Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented truck accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Two people were killed and two others seriously injured in a DUI crash on Highway 86 in Brawley. (Photo: Imperial Valley Press) CLICK ON PHOTO TO SEE IT FULL-SIZE.

A 9-year-old girl and an 18-year-old boy were killed Saturday in a drunk driving crash on State Route 86 in Brawley. Two other victims were airlifted to hospitals with serious injuries.

•   A westbound drunk driver did not stop at an intersection with a highway and crashed into a southbound car. 

•   The southbound car overturned, killing a child and a teen. Two other people in the car suffered severe injuries and were airlifted to a hospital. A fifth person was hospitalized locally.

•   The drunk driver was treated at a hospital and then charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony drunk driving.

The fatal highway accident occurred at around 12:45 p.m., according to a KXO-Radio News report.

California Highway Patrol officer Miguel Sanchez that 22-year-old Anthony J. Aubry of San Diego was driving an Acura RSX westbound on Fredericks Road when he failed to yield the right of way at the intersection with Route 86.

Aubry’s Acura crashed into a Honda Accord that was heading southbound on the highway.  The violent impact caused the Honda – carrying a family of five from Riverside — to overturn.

Aubry sustained a broken leg and an abrasion to his head. He was taken by ground ambulance to Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley. After he was treated, Aubry was arrested and booked into Imperial County Jail. He was charged with gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and felony drunk driving, KSWT News reported.

Two of the people in the Honda — 18-year old Alan D. Cerda and 9-year old Andrea T. Cerda — were killed in the accident. They were pronounced dead at the scene, according to a report in the Imperial Valley Press.

The Honda driver — 25-year old Manuel A. Cerda — suffered catastrophic injuries, including a fractured skull, neck, back, hip and left arm. He was airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

Another family member, 15-year-old Yesenia Herrera also suffered major injuries, including a broken neck and arm. She, too, was airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.

The fifth family member in the Honda, 32-year old Norma Herrera, suffered chest, hip and head injuries. She was taken by ground ambulance to Pioneers Memorial Hospital in Brawley.

The accident remains under investigation.

Brawley Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented car accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Workplace fatality: A longshoreman was crushed to death by a falling container at the Port of Long Beach. (Photo: Los Angeles Times)

A longshoreman was killed on the job Thursday night when he was crushed by a 40-foot shipping container that fell on top of him at the Port of Long Beach.

•   A crew of longshoremen were moving cargo containers on a ship from a dockside crane when a larger, eight-ton container fell from the top of a 200 foot stack.

•   The crew ran for cover, but the crew boss was unable to escape in time. The huge container fell on top of him on the ship’s deck.

•   The man was trapped under the heavy container and crushed. He died at the scene.

•   State and federal safety agencies are investigating the accident.

The fatal accident occurred shortly before 7 p.m., according to a report in the Long Beach Press-Telegram.

California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) spokesperson Patricia Ortiz said 47-year-old Steven Nicholas Saggiani was working with a crew loading and unloading cargo containers from a ship when the saccident occurred. The ship was docked at the Cosco Terminal on Pier J in the Port of Long Beach.

Saggiani, the crew boss, was aboard the ship, which was loaded with 40-foot cargo containers. The containers were stacked in two rows, six containers high. There were two 20-foot containers in front of the two rows of 40-foot containers. The crew was using a crane on the dock to unload the two 20-foot containers when one of the 40-foot containers fell off of a stack.

“The workers saw one of the large containers begin to twist and basically saw it fall and tumble,” Ortiz said.

The container plummeted 200 feet from the top of one of the high stacks to the deck of the ship. The crew ran for cover.  Saggiani ran after them, but was unable to escape in time. The eight-ton container fell on top of him and crushed him. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

What caused the container to become unstable is not yet known. Both state and federal safety agencies are investigating the accident, Ortiz said. Authorities were questioning employees, employers, and other witnesses. The probe is expected to take two to four months.

Long Beach Workplace Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented workplace accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

"Avatar" star Zoe Saldana (far right) rushed to the aid of an elderly woman (far left) who was injured in a Culver City car accident. (Photo: Daily Mail)

It’s what we all should do, but it’s especially heartwarming to see a movie star act as a Good Samaritan. When “Avatar” star Zoe Saldana witnessed a car accident in Culver City on Wednesday, she immediately stopped and rushed to the aid of an injured elderly woman.

•  Actress Zoe Saldana witnessed a car accident on a Culver City street.

•  Saldana stopped and, with the help of another witness, aided an elderly victim. 

•   The actress called 911, helped the elderly victim out of her car, and got her safely seated on a sidewalk. Saldana waited at the woman’s side until police arrived and then remained at the scene to answer questions.

•   Few details are known about the accident, but news media are having a field day singing the “Avatar” star’s praises as a Good Samaritan.

Details about the accident are scant because most news outlets are focusing more on Saldana’s meritorious behavior.

What is known is that the 33-year-old actress was driving on a Culver City street when she and another witness saw a collision, according to a Daily Mail report.

Saldana (standing, left) remained at the scene even after police and paramedics arrived. (Photo: Daily Mail) CLICK ON PHOTO to see it full-size.

Saldana immediately stopped her car to check on an elderly woman who had been hurt in the accident. The actress and the other witness helped the victim, who had blood on her face but was able to walk, over to the sidewalk.

They helped her sit down and supported her back as she sat on the curb. Saldana immediately called 911, according to a People report.

“Zoe witnessed the car accident, and was very quick to help,” an onlooker told People. “She immediately got on the phone with 911 and she seemed very concerned.”

Saldana stayed at the scene while they waited for emergency responders to arrive. At one point she apparently returned briefly to the victim’s car to retrieve her handbag and a sweater.

After police and paramedics arrived, Saldana remained at the scene to answer questions.

What To Do When You Witness an Accident

If you witness a motor vehicle accident, here’s what the California Department of Motor Vehicles says you should do:

• If you are the first person at a vehicle collision scene, pull completely off the road, away from the collision.
• Check to see if anyone is injured. Search the area for victims who may have been thrown from a vehicle.
• Call 911. Be prepared to provide information, such as the exact location including cross streets and how many people need help. If possible, let the dispatcher know if anyone is bleeding, unconscious, or without a pulse.
• If possible, use flares or emergency triangles.
• Help anyone who is not already walking and talking. Do not move a severely injured person unless he or she is in a burning vehicle or in other danger. Moving someone incorrectly often makes an injury worse.
• Turn off the ignition of wrecked vehicles.
• Don’t smoke. Fire is a great danger after an accident due to the possibility of leaking fuel.

Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented freeway accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.

Two people were airlifted to hospitals after a fiery big-rig crash on I-10 in Montclair. (Photos: ABC News | Los Angeles Times)

Two people were airlifted to hospitals Tuesday night after a fiery big-rig crash involving two other vehicles on Interstate 10 in Montclair.

•   A woman driving a Mercedes on the freeway crashed into the rear of a big-rig hauling food in a refrigerator unit.

•   The big-rig then hit a Nissan, and both of them crashed into the center divider. 

•   The truck flipped over, caught fire, and spilled diesel fuel all over the freeway.

•   The truck driver and Mercedes driver were airlifted to hospitals. The entire freeway — in both directions — was closed for six hours.

The multi-vehicle freeway crash occurred at 11:12 p.m., according to a report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.

California Highway Patrol Jeff Briggs said the chain reaction started when a 1984 Mercedes Benz, driven by a 33-year-old Montclair woman, lost control for unknown reasons and crashed into a big-rig.

The impact caused the truck, which was hauling food in a refrigerator unit, to slide and hit a Nissan. Both the Nissan and the big-rig then crashed into the center divider, according to a KTLA News report. The truck flipped over onto its side and burst into flames.

“Part of the refrigerator unit became dislodged, and it slid across lanes and spilled diesel on the freeway,” Briggs told the Tribune.

Witnesses saw explosions and several lanes of the freeway on fire. Emergency crews had to use the Jaws of Life to cut the Mercedes driver out of her vehicle. She was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center.  The truck driver was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Nissan driver did not report any injuries.

Both were airlifted by helicopter because the freeway was impassable, but their injuries were initially described as relatively minor. Updates on their conditions were not available.

Meanwhile, hazardous materials units and several dozen firefighters from both Montclair and Los Angeles County firefighters responded to the scene to put out the fire and clean up the diesel fuel spill.

“We did have to cut open the trailer and get the fire out that had started to spread into the trailer portion of the big rig,” Montclair fire Division Chief Pat McCutcheon said.

State officials closed the entire freeway — in both directions — for more than six hours. It was reopened at about 6:30 on Wednesday morning.

Montclair Freeway Accident Lawyers

The trial attorneys at Blackman Legal Group, a California-based law firm founded by renowned trial attorney Clifford Blackman, have successfully represented freeway accident victims and their families for 35 years. The nationwide toll-free number to call for a free consultation is 1-866-692-8126.