Crime & Safety
Updated: Investigation Continues on Pair of Crashes, One Fatal, on I-10
One crash involved a big rig, which burst into flames, and several vehicles.
Updated 11:53 a.m.
Two separate collisions within a minute of each other Monday night included one fatality, injured several, and prompted the closure of Interstate 10 until early this morning.
At around 8:07 p.m., a three-vehicle minor injury collision happened on the eastbound I-10 at Towne Avenue, causing a traffic back up, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez.
A minute later, at 8:08 p.m., a second multi-vehicle crash happened just west of the first one. That collision involved six vehicles, including a tractor trailer. The crash involved the tractor trailer and an older model BMW, which both burst into flames, Jimenez said.
One died during the crash. Four involved were flown to the Los Angeles County USC Medical Center in critical condition, and three others were transported by ambulance to local hospitals with minor injuries, he said.
The crash also caused the tractor trailer's fuel tanks to rupture, spilling a large amount of diesel fuel onto the freeway. HAZMAT responded to the scene for cleanup and decontamination, he said. All of the eastbound lanes were closed at Garey Avenue. The center median was reopened for traffic at 2:30 a.m. Authorities reopened the entire freeway at 6:36 a.m.
The collision remains under investigation.
Anyone with information about the crash is urged to call investigating Officer C. Gramm #15980 at the CHP-Baldwin Park Area office at (626)338-1164.----
Updated 12:44 a.m.
A pair of collisions involving eight vehicles and a big rig that caught fire on the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway in Claremont tonight left one person dead and 10 injured, four critically, authorities said.
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The collisions occurred at 8:12 p.m. at Indian Hill Boulevard, said California Highway Patrol Officer Tatiana Sauquillo.
The first involved four vehicles and a big rig and the second involved four vehicles, said CHP Officer Patrick Kimball.
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At least one car ended up under the big rig, which was carrying furniture, Sauquillo said.
Two of the injured were airlifted to a hospital via two helicopters, said Michael Pittman, supervising dispatcher with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
The crashes closed the freeway in both directions, Kimball said.
The westbound lanes were reopened around 9:30 p.m., but the eastbound lanes were expected to remain closed until at least midnight, he said.
--City News Service
Original Story
A fatal crash involving a big rig and several cars has prompted the closure of the eastbound Interstate 10, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The accident happened at around 8:12 p.m. at the Towne Avenue exit in Pomona. The big rig, which was carrying furniture, burst into flames and other cars involved in the accident also caught on fire, according the Highway Patrol. The Highway Patrol's website lists that the accident involved a fatality, but more information about the victims is not available at this time.
CBS Los Angeles reported one dead and 9 injured, four of those critically and with others airlifted to USC Medical Center.
About 100 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out on the freeway. All eastbound lanes have been shut at Garey Avenue. The westbound lanes have been closed at Indian Hill and traffic is being diverted off the freeway in both directions.
A helicopter also landed on the freeway to transport victims of the crash.
This story will be updated when more information becomes available.
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