Rig Collision Kills One and Puts Freeway Lanes To A Halt In Long Beach

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A fatal crash involving a tractor-trailer that overturned and a Ford F-550 truck killed one and put all lanes of the northbound 710 Freeway to a halt Monday morning, according to CHP.

In a statement made by the California Highway Patrol, the investigation discovered the driver of the rig swerved to avoid a slower moving vehicle ahead in the roadway. The big rig struck the vehicle and veered to the left, ultimately causing the rig to overturn on it’s side. The driver of the rig that struck the vehicle sustained life-threatening injuries.

A witness, Long Beach resident Jorge Panchig, was driving behind the rig as it swerved.

“I was right there, I was one of the drivers right behind the truck. We tried to see if we [drivers behind the rig] could get the guy out before the police came but it looked like he was stuck,” he later wrote on a local news Facebook page.

The driver of the semi truck was a 50-year-old Cudahy local, his identity was not released due to the pending notification of his next of kin.

A CHP’s statement did not include the status of the other motorist, a 34-year-old from Santa Ana.

According to the California Highway Patrol the collision was reported around 9 a.m., all lanes of the northbound Freeway were closed to allow firefighters to get the driver out of the truck.

The CPH was assisted by Long Beach police, officers responded to the crash and closed all northbound on-ramps to the 710 Freeway from Pico Avenue to Willow Street for around 4 hours until it was opened at about 2:30 p.m.

It wasn’t until around 4:40 p.m. that all northbound 710 Freeway lanes were opened.

The accident remains under investigation.

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