Big Rigs Flip in Oceanside, CA
Last Wednesday, September 25th, two semi trucks carrying solar panels flipped over within three miles of each other. The crashes happened on Interstate 5 in Oceanside. The first wreck occurred when the semi truck’s load shifted. As the driver was turning onto the eastbound Route 78 ramp, the panels tipped, and the truck flipped over. The driver was airlifted to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla for major injuries to his left arm.
About an hour later, another big rig carrying solar panels overturned. This crash happened just three miles north of the previous crash, near State Route 76. Jim Bettencourt, an officer with the California Highway Patrol, said that the second driver also reported a load shift prior to the wreck. Thankfully, both drivers were reportedly traveling at low speeds when their loads shifted.
The crash sites were finally cleared by about 10:00 a.m., and Officer Bettencourt said that investigators would look into a possible connection between these two trucks. The San Diego Union-Tribune didn’t report on whether or not any other injuries were sustained in connection with these overturned semi-trucks.
