More rain turned into more traffic collisions, mudslides, debris flows and flooding for the Santa Clarita Valley Thursday morning.
A big rig and a car collided in the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 near Magic Mountain Parkway shortly before 8:40 a.m. but it was one of at least half a dozen traffic collisions on the freeway.
“There was a call for an ambulance and then upgraded to ALS,” said Austin Bennett, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, referring to a call from paramedics for an advanced life support unit.
There was no report, however, of serious injury, he said.
Mud and rockslides were reported at three spots along Soledad Canyon Road at the mouth of the tunnel at Capra Road, at Sierra Highway and at Agua Dulce Canyon Road.
The rockslide at the tunnel covered one lane and sent rocks across the other lane.
“There had been a significant downpour of rainfall for at least an hour,” said Michelle Goertz, who encountered the rockslide.
“As I approached the exit of the tunnel, I noticed a large rockslide that encompassed both lanes of Soledad Canyon Road,” Goertz said.
“I was able to gingerly guide my trusty vehicle through the large jutting rocks on the roadway. There were other areas along Soledad Canyon Road that encountered rockslides, although this particular one was the worst for today,” she said.
Motorists reporting the incident to the California Highway Patrol said some motorists got out of their vehicles and began removing rocks and debris.
“We had a city tree fail into the southbound lane of traffic on McBean Parkway at Del Monte (Drive),” said Carrie Lujan, spokeswoman for the City of Santa Clarita.
“We have cleared to the right of way and will return in a bit with a chipper to remove the debris that has been staged in the turf parkway,” she said, noting there was no report of damage or injury.
Caltrans crews were called out to reports of flooding on the I-5 at Rye Canyon road.
Officers with the California Highway Patrol responded to traffic collisions – many of the solo vehicle spin outs – including report of a black Audi spinning out in the northbound lanes of Highway 14 near the I-5 connector lane at 9 a.m.
Shortly before 9:30 a.m., a grey Toyota truck spun out in the southbound lanes of Highway 14 at Escondido Canyon Road, hitting the center divider.
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