CHP continues investigation on I-10 big rig crash, Caltrans repairs guardrail
Kendall Flynn
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Thursday around 6:40 a.m., an I-10 westbound semi-truck veered across the center divider and overturned in the eastbound lanes near Date Palm Drive.
Authorities with the Riverside County Coroners Office identified two victims in the big rig crash as Francisco Sicairos Leon, 58, of Desert Hot Springs, and Miguel Macias, 49, of Santa Ana.
California Highway Patrol Officer David Torres confirmed the driver of the semi-truck was injured but did survive, and they are still investigating the cause of the accident. Torres said he was the first on scene yesterday, and with the semi-truck and five cars involved in the accident, there was a lot of information to take in.
Other drivers were stopped on the highway for nearly two and a half hours, while investigators took in as much information as they could. As of now they do not have an update on what caused the crash, and are continuing the investigation.
The California Department of Transportation is on site Friday repairing 44 guardrail posts, and hopes to be complete by Saturday. The guardrail was completely taken out on both sides as the big rig veered through the center divider.
Guardrails on State highways are intended to take heavy impacts at an angle and redirect errant vehicles back onto the roadway, typically not head-on impacts such as what occurred Thursday.
Friday, they are replacing the guardrail posts with steel, adding additional impact reinforcement for future incidents. Although this was a unique guardrail impact, Caltrans will continue to explore new and innovative ways to create a safer infrastructure for the motoring public and will work closely with our CHP partners once the investigation is final.
News Channel 3 is reaching out to CHP to determine what the investigation process is for a crash like this, and will be reaching out to the California Department of Transportation on repairing the guardrail to protect other drivers.