Officials have not publicly identified the driver of the semi-truck, and investigators continue working to determine what caused the vehicle to lose control.
According to the original report, The Gateway Pundit contacted the California Highway Patrol seeking additional information regarding the driver’s identity, but no public identification had been released.
Local television station KABC described the dramatic sequence of events after obtaining exclusive dash camera footage from the incident.
KABC reported:
“Dash camera video shared exclusively with Eyewitness News shows the moments leading up to a deadly crash involving a jackknifed semi-truck on the 210 Freeway in Irwindale on Saturday morning.
The footage shows the big rig veering off the right shoulder before crossing the center divider and colliding with several vehicles. The truck ultimately jackknifed, leading to lane closures on both sides of the freeway.
Video shared on the Citizen app captured the aftermath of the crash, including debris scattered across the roadway.
Authorities said a 58-year-old woman was killed in the collision. More than 30 people were injured, including 10 who were hospitalized. Six of those hospitalized were children.
According to the California Highway Patrol, at least three vehicles were involved in the pileup, but the precise number was unclear.”
WATCH:
The shocking images from the scene showed twisted metal, scattered debris, and emergency responders working throughout the morning to assist victims and clear the damaged vehicles from the freeway. Traffic backed up for miles as investigators examined the crash site and attempted to piece together exactly what happened in the moments before the collision.
Authorities have not yet announced whether speed, mechanical failure, medical issues, or another factor contributed to the truck’s sudden loss of control. The investigation remains ongoing.
The deadly wreck also renewed attention to another catastrophic semi-truck crash that occurred in Southern California only months earlier.
Last October, tragedy struck on a freeway in Ontario, California, when a semi-truck barreled into slowing traffic, killing three people and seriously injuring several others. Witnesses described a horrifying scene as the impact ignited a massive fireball.
That crash ultimately involved eight vehicles, including four large commercial trucks, making it one of the region’s most significant freeway disasters in recent memory.
According to eyewitnesses, the truck’s driver, Jashanpreet Singh, was traveling at a high rate of speed before slamming into the line of vehicles. Following the investigation, Singh was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs.
As investigators continue examining Saturday’s fatal Irwindale crash, officials are expected to review every available piece of evidence, including dash camera footage, witness statements, and the truck itself, in an effort to determine exactly what caused another devastating collision involving a commercial vehicle on Southern California’s busy freeway system.
For the victims’ families, however, the investigation cannot undo the loss of life or the injuries suffered during a crash that transformed an ordinary Saturday morning commute into a heartbreaking tragedy.
