At least five people died in a serious multi-vehicle accident in California on Feb. 16. The crash left the entirety of the 10 Freeway in Rialto closed for hours while emergency crews worked to clean up the accident.
At about 1 p.m., a vehicle that appeared to be a concrete pump truck was traveling west when it veered into the median. It went through the guardrail and into the eastbound lanes, hitting multiple cars. Authorities reported that the incident caused an unknown number of vehicles to catch fire. At least five people were killed. The driver of the truck was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The excessive weight and force trucks have often prevent them from being able to stop, meaning that drivers and passengers in smaller cars that are in the way of a crashing truck are at serious risk for injury or even death. If a person does survive a truck accident, he or she could be left with a traumatic brain injury, broken bones and even damage to internal organs. These injuries could have an impact on that person’s future health, especially if he or she does not fully recover.
A Costa Mesa truck accident injury compensation law firm may review the evidence from the accident, including police reports and witness statements. An attorney may then work with an injured person to file a claim against the truck driver and the employer that hired the truck driver, especially if there is evidence that the driver was drunk or fatigued. If a settlement cannot be reached or the employer and truck driver refuse to take responsibilty for the accident, the attorney may take the claim to court.
Source: KTLA, “At Least 5 Dead, Eastbound 10 Freeway Closed After Fiery Crash Involving Multiple Vehicles in Rialto Area“, Tracy Bloom, Mark Kono, Rick Chambers and Tim Lynn, Feb. 16, 2018
