Major 18-Wheeler Accident on Orange County Highway
18-wheeler accidents with smaller passenger cars or trucks can be truly frightening, as people found out in the Dana Point area on October 24. A California Highway Patrol spokesperson reported that a tractor trailer collision on I-5 in the Dana Point vicinity left multiple people hurt. The accident stopped traffic for hours in southbound lanes Thursday afternoon.
According to eyewitnesses, the 18-wheeler was headed north when it crossed the median and rolled into the southbound traffic shortly after 12:15 p.m. near the Camino de Estrella exit ramp. The truck reportedly hit several cars. Due to the tremendous forces involved, one vehicle actually became pinned beneath another vehicle. According to CHP, at least five vehicles became involved in the chain reaction collision, another in a long line of 18-wheeler accidents to strike the area.
Pictures of Collision Chaos
Destroyed car and truck parts and other wreckage were scattered across the freeway pavement while rescuers did their jobs. Life Flight helicopters landed at the scene to evacuate patients, indicating the severity of the patients’ injuries, and traffic became backed up for miles, as seen in news report footage from above. An Orange County Fire spokesperson repo
rted to the media that nine people, including two children under the age of four, were transported to area hospitals with injuries, some of them serious. News helicopters showed footage of firefighters pushing multiple patients on gurneys toward waiting ambulances and helicopters.
What We Learn From This
Obviously, 18-wheeler accidents can be devastating, especially for someone in a smaller vehicle. The injuries and rehabilitation process can be difficult to deal with, and then there are the financial consequences. Thankfully, a Dallas or Arlington injury lawyer can help you get the compensation you deserve. At David Kohm Law Offices, we know how difficult such accidents can be, and we are experienced at litigation involving trucking firms. If you are in an accident with a big rig, and want legal advice, call us at (817) 861-8400.
Source: ktla.com, “18-Wheeler Crashes on 5 Freeway in O.C.; Multiple Injuries Reported,” Stephanie Case, October 24, 2013