An unnamed man was killed today and two others remain in critical condition after they were pinned against a pickup truck by a tractor-trailer on the 60 freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
At 11:03 a.m., Constantino Olmos, a 53-year-old Riverside man, was driving a tractor-trailer on eastbound State Route 60, west of Phillips Ranch Road. The unnamed victim, a 46-year-old Norco man, was driving in the same area in a Ford F7000 when he had a minor collision with Olmos, according to a news release.
Olmos and the victim parked on the right shoulder and exited their vehicles, along with the victim’s two passengers, 40-year-old Arnold Hutchinson and 49-year-old Michael Wintermute, both of Mira Loma.
While the four men were standing on the right shoulder between their two trucks, Emilio Alvarez, a 23-year-old South Gate resident, was driving in the same area in the No. 5 lane at an undetermined speed. For unknown reasons, Alvarez veered to the right and struck the left rear side of Olmos’ parked trailer, authorities said.
The parked tractor trailer lurched forward around 15 feet and pinned Olmos, Hutchinson, and the deceased against the Ford F7000. After Alvarez his the parked tractor trailer, it veered to the left and overturned, blocking all of the eastbound lanes of the freeway west of Phillips Ranch Road.
The unnamed victim was pronounced dead on the scene. Olmos and Hutchinson were transported to the hospital with major bodily injuries. Olmos was airlifted to USC Medical Center and currently listed in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit. Hutchinson was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital by ambulance and then airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center. He also is listed in critical condition.
Wintermute was able to escape without being struck or injured.
A sig alert was issued and Caltrans closed the eastbound 60 from the 57 freeway to Phillips Ranch. CHP officers on the scene diverted traffic near the crash off the freeway. The closure lasted 7 hours. At 7:16 p.m., the sig alert was cancelled and all eastbound lanes were cleared and re-opened.
