Two vehicle collisions Friday morning in the southbound truck lanes on Highway 14 near Sierra Highway prompted responses from several agencies and caused traffic delays for hours, according to California Highway Patrol officers.
A big rig overturned and, shortly after, a Toyo Tires box truck driver collided with the overturned big rig at approximately 6:40 a.m. The incidents resulted in a driver being transported to a nearby hospital, approximately 30 gallons of diesel spilled onto the highway and prompted a SIG alert for the closure of all truck lanes in the surrounding area, CHP Officer Moises Marroquin said.
Josh Greengard, public information officer for the CHP Newhall Office, confirmed there were two vehicle collisions in the same location.
Initially, a big rig was reported to be overturned, he said. Before CHP officers arrived at the scene, the Toyo Tires box truck spun out in the northbound side of the truck route and fell over the side into the overturned big rig, according to Greengard.
A motorist posted video on social media showing the moment the box truck came over the side.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatcher Kaitlyn Aldana said emergency personnel received a call for service regarding a traffic collision at approximately 6:42 a.m. Once paramedics and additional firefighters were on the scene, they reported no one was entrapped.
However, a driver was transported to a nearby hospital for medical assistance, she added. The status of the driver and the extent of their injuries were unknown, according to Aldana.
In addition to the two trucks involved in the crash, there was also a black SUV that was pinned underneath the Toyo Tires truck when it went off the overpass. According to Greengard, the SUV was involved in the first collision. It’s unknown, at the time of this publication, if the driver of the SUV was the one who was transported.
In addition, the big rig collision resulted in approximately 30 gallons of diesel spilled onto the highway, she added. A Fire Department hazmat unit was called to the scene to aid in the cleanup of the diesel.
Marroquin said the vehicle collisions prompted a SIG alert for the closure of all truck lanes in the surrounding areas, which include the truck lanes on Interstate 5, Highway 14 and eastbound Highway 210.
According to Marroquin, the SIG alert was enforced as CHP officers and responding units work to clear the area of the big rig collision and oil spill.
The cause of the big rig collision is under investigation, he added.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, the SIG alert had been lifted and scene was cleared, according to Greengard. However, the truck lanes surrounding the crash site remained closed, at the time of this publication.
