The California Highway Patrol (CHP) says that a truck driver was fatally injured in an apparent single vehicle accident on Tuesday afternoon.
The incident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on January 4 on I-8 near Alpine, California.
EB I-8 east of Dunbar Lane, left two lanes blocked due to a traffic collision involving a semi-truck. pic.twitter.com/pIoJrv1L94
— Caltrans San Diego (@SDCaltrans) January 4, 2022
According to CHP, the truck driver was hauling a load of steel sheet piles east on I-8 and then braked abruptly for unknown reasons.
The sudden braking caused the load of steel to slide forward on the trailer and into the cab, striking the truck driver.
CHP said that the truck driver was impaled and passed away at the scene.
The identity of the truck driver has not been released.
CHP Trooper Travis Garrow says that there is no indication that other vehicles were involved in the incident.
Trooper Garrow said in a news release that the load was not properly secured.
“I’ve posted some older pictures of shifting loads, some that were meant to be amusing and some to show the legality of load securement. This is always in attempt to bring awareness and hopefully avoid seeing a story like this,” CHP’s Castaic division said.