October 6th, 2010 | 
Author: LA CAÑADA FLINTRIDGE, CA – A semi trailer truck crashed early Wednesday morning, September 29, in California after it went off the Foothill Freeway and plunged down an embankment. There were no injuries in the truck accident that occurred just northwest of Pasadena in the suburb of La Cañada Flintridge in the north part of the Greater Los Angeles Metro region.
Early Wednesday morning Luis Eduardo Barajas was driving a semi trailer truck east on the Foothill Freeway, also known as Interstate 210. The trailer of the truck was filled with boxes of Campbell Soup. The trailer truck is owned by GTI-Gordon Trucking Incorporated a national trucking company based in Pacific, Washington State.
The truck accident occurred shortly before 5:00 a.m. Wednesday morning as Mr. Barajas drove through Los Angeles County. While driving east on the freeway he suddenly lost control of his semi trailer near the exit for Gould Avenue. The trailer truck crashed on the far right edge of the freeway and then skidded along the metal guardrail. The 18 wheeler truck then went off the interstate and down an embankment, crashing into a tree at the bottom. The semi trailer finally came to a rest behind a McDonald’s restaurant.
The impact of the truck accident split open the trailer section of the 18 wheeler and hundreds of boxes of Campbell’s soup spilled out into the parking lot. According to police the roof of the trailer was peeled off and a front right panel torn from the truck. At least one parked car was damaged slightly when it was hit by debris flying off the trailer truck.
No other persons or vehicles were involved in the truck accident.
The cab of the semi was partially crushed in the collision and the front end sustained substantial damage. Mr. Barajas had to crawl out of the semi but he was not seriously injured in the truck accident and reportedly did not require hospitalization. He was wearing his seat belt at the time of the collision.
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California Highway Patrol officers responded to the truck accident scene and shut down three of the four eastbound lanes of the Foothill Freeway/I-210. The closures were necessary so crews could repair the damaged guardrail. Officers closed off a section of the freeway between Gould Avenue and Angeles Crest Highway for several hours causing majors delays in the morning commuter rush.
Other highway crews cleaned up the spilled boxes of soup and other debris off the highway. A heavy duty tow truck was brought to the scene of the truck accident to remove the disabled rig.
Officers conducted a reconstruction of the truck accident. They have not released all of their findings but believe that the truck driver, Mr. Barajas, may have fallen asleep just before crashing into the guardrail. The truck driver reportedly told investigators that he was well-rested when he started his trip on Tuesday afternoon, but he may have “…closed his eyes for a second…” just before losing control of his rig.
Wednesday morning’s crash was the second truck accident this week in the same area that involved a GTI truck. Another GTI semi trailer went out of control and overturned on the Foothill Freeway/I-210 on Tuesday when the driver of a Nissan sedan drove into the 18 wheeler’s path.
At this time no charges have been brought against Mr. Barajas and Wednesday’s truck accident remains under investigation.
For more information about California trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims’ rights, contact truck accident lawyers Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP for truck accident advice. For a free initial consultation, talk to a truck accident attorney at 1.800.773.6770.
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