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.
Why call us?
• Experience: Our attorneys are top-ranked.
• Consideration: We advance all expenses on cases. And we never charge a fee unless your case is successfully settled.
Call Toll Free at