Two women are lucky to be alive after the car they were traveling in was involved in a Serra Mesa truck accident. No one involved in the crash suffered major injuries, which officials said was lucky, given the efforts that went into clearing the truck crash. The Serra Mesa truck accident was one of several truck accidents in California in the past month. Though the women in Serra Mesa were lucky, not everyone involved in an accident with a semi-truck survives.
Women involved in Serra Mesa Truck Accident “Lucked Out”
On Saturday, February 4, two women were driving a Mazda Miata northbound on Interstate 805 in Serra Mesa at Murray Ridge Road, north of Interstate 8, around 11:00 a.m. when a semi-truck driving next to them lost a tire when it rapidly deflated. The semi-truck driver veered to the left, not realizing a vehicle was in the lane next to him. The semi-truck then collided with the car and crashed into the median. Miraculously, although the vehicles were stuck together and pinned to the median, the car withstood the collision, protecting the women inside.
“They lucked out, the truck was kind of around [the car] and it did not crush it,” said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Brent Lowery. “They got very lucky.”
Although everyone survived the Serra Mesa truck accident, a tow truck had to be called in to pull the semi-truck off the car and it took around one hour to rescue the 65-year-old passenger from the wreckage. The 51-year-old driver of the car managed to get herself out of the vehicle.
Debris reportedly spilled into the southbound lanes of Interstate 805, and a fuel spill resulted in the hazardous materials response team being dispatched. Two lanes on the northbound side were closed for around three hours following the Serra Mesa truck accident.
Pedestrian Struck by Box Truck in Irvine
Meanwhile, on Thursday, February 16, a pedestrian who was walking along the southbound lanes on 1-405 was hit by a box truck and died of her injuries. California Highway Patrol reports that around 6:11 a.m., motorists called 911 to alert authorities that a woman was walking northbound along the southbound shoulder. Shortly afterward, calls came into 911 that the pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
“It was foggy,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Olivera. “When she got to the No. 3 lane, she was hit by a white box truck.”
Officer Olivera said the box truck driver was on the scene and cooperating. There have been no indications as to why the pedestrian was walking on the freeway.
CHP Officer Injured in Semi Truck Crash
Also on February 16, a California Highway Patrol officer suffered major injuries in a collision with a semi-truck on U.S. 101 at Ehlers Avenue, near Klamath. At around 3:00 p.m. a semi-truck crossed the U.S. 101 center line and crashed into a California Highway Patrol car, driven by Officer Jose Martinez. Martinez was trapped in the car awaiting rescue when the engine bay caught fire.
It took almost an hour to free Martinez from his car, during which emergency personnel cut through the roof of the car, removed the prisoner cage and secured the steering column to a fire vehicle in order to remove Martinez. He was taken to a hospital with major injuries. The semi-truck driver was not injured in the crash, which is under investigation.
No Injuries Reported in Coachella Valley Big Rig Crash
On Thursday, February 23, crews were called to an overturned big rig that had driven off Interstate 10, east of Coachella Valley in Chiriaco Summit. The crash was reported to California Highway Patrol around 1:30 a.m. after the westbound big rig hit a concrete wall and overturned.
The accident caused debris to spread across the road. A passing SUV hit that debris and veered off the road. Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident.
Truck Legislation Being Rolled Back, Despite Continued Accidents
On January 27, a 29-year-old truck driver who was fatigued suffered serious injuries when his big rig rolled over on I-5 near the Weed rest area. Debris was scattered over the road, but no other major injuries were reported.
Despite concerns about truck driver fatigue being a leading cause of semi-truck accidents, U.S. regulators are looking to decrease trucking regulations, including eliminating rules regarding truck driver sleep time. Those regulations were implemented by the Obama administration and were designed to ensure truck drivers got enough rest time before starting a new workweek.
The current administration reportedly aims to decrease operating costs for trucking companies, but truck safety advocates worry that lack of regulations regarding mandatory rest times will have an effect on road safety. Truck drivers are frequently required to drive for long periods, make tight schedules, and drive at night, often without sufficient time to recover from their long shifts.
A lack of regulations will likely not prevent future accidents and could put other motorists at risk of a catastrophic truck accident.
