Up to 50 vehicles were involved in a chain reaction San Bernardino car accident on the 15 Freeway near the summit of the Cajon Pass early morning on June 10, 2009, the Associated Press reports. The 50 vehicles included several cars and two big rigs, spread over a half-mile section of the northbound lanes, California Highway Patrol officials said. Some suffered personal injuries in this horrific San Bernardino car accident, but officials do not know how many injuries there were or to what extent people have been injured.
The chain reaction car crash apparently began when two tractor-trailer big rig trucks crashed in the northbound lanes near Oak Hills Road. Motorist Phil Cokkinos, who talked to reporters at the scene, said he saw three or four big rig trucks and a couple of cars that were crushed between them. There were three separate car-truck accident sections, Cokkinos said, all totaling to about 50 cars. Officials believe fog and poor visibility may have caused this multi-car and big rig truck accident.
My heart goes out to all the victims of this horrific multiple car crash. I hope none of the victims suffered catastrophic injuries. I wish them all the very best for a quick and complete recovery. Please keep these injured victims in your prayers.
According to California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there were 308 fatalities and 9,920 injuries involving car accidents in San Bernardino County in 2007.
Details of this California car crash are still emerging and officials are still investigating how or why it occurred. Based on these preliminary news reports, it appears that the big rig trucks started the chain reaction by crashing first. It is important for the investigation to look into how or why the trucks crashed. Were they traveling too fast given the poor visibility and foggy conditions? Did any of the big rigs get out of control because of mechanical failure? Was any one of the drivers distracted, fatigued or under the influence? These are important questions that must be answered to determine who or what caused this serious big rig truck-car accident.
The injured victims would be well advised to consult with experienced California car accident attorneys who have successfully handled big rig truck accident cases. If this car-truck accident was caused as a result of someone’s negligence, they could be held liable for the truck-car accident, injuries and damages caused here. If the big rig drivers are determined to be at fault, their employers (the trucking companies) could also be held responsible.