MORENO VALLEY: Hay truck involved in 5 vehicle pile-up in Badlands

Eddie George of Hemet News and John Strangis of OnSceneTV contributed to this report.

 

A tow truck works to move a tractor-trailer semi-truck from the roadway after it's load shifted and was spilled across the 60 freeway in the Badlands area. Eddie George photo

A tow truck works to move a tractor-trailer semi-truck from the roadway after it’s load shifted and was spilled across the 60 freeway in the Badlands area. Eddie George photo

MORENO VALLEY – A truck hauling hay caused an early morning traffic collision involving four other vehicles Oct. 27. The accident – that left traffic backed up for miles – happened on the westbound Interstate 60 Freeway east of Moreno Valley.

CHP officers responded to numerous 911 calls reporting the multiple vehicle traffic collision at about 3:30 a.m.

The driver of the truck, who was identified as Adam Ramirez, explained what led to the collision saying, “I was coming down the bend when the dolly broke on the pin-hitch and it twisted up my front trailer and lost the load.”

“The load shifted and tilted and everything just fell over,” Ramirez explained.

When the truck crashed, large bales of hay were spilled across both lanes of the freeway. Four vehicles that were behind the hay hauler were then involved in a chain reaction, multi-vehicle traffic collision. The accidents and scattered bales of hay left the westbound freeway impassable.

The freeway through the Badlands area was backed up for several hours while the hay was being cleaned up off the roadway.

Four cars and trucks were involved in a traffic collision that left several of the vehicles with major damage. John Strangis photo

Four cars and trucks were involved in a traffic collision that left several of the vehicles with major damage. John Strangis photo

After several hours, officers were able to move the mangled vehicles and hay bales to the right side of the roadway, which enabled them to temporarily reopen the number one lane of traffic.

Once the miles-long backup had been cleared CHP re-closed the westbound lanes of traffic while work crews worked to finish clearing the remaining hay from the roadway.

At least one person involved in the collision appeared to have suffered minor facial  injuries in the crash. He was evaluated and treated at the scene and declined further medical treatment.

Officials reopened the freeway once all the hay bales, vehicles, and vehicle debris were cleared from the lanes of traffic. The freeway was closed for about six hours and reopened at about 9 a.m.

Officials did not believe alcohol or drug intoxication played a part in this accident, however the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information regarding this accident and investigation are encouraged to contact CHP officials from the San Gorgonio Pass area station at (951) 769-2000. Callers can remain anonymous.

Click any image to open full-size gallery.

John Strangis / OnSceneTV

Eddie George / Hemet News

 

Contact the writer: [email protected]

 

trevor main

Trevor Montgomery runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News and Anza Valley Outlook and also writes for Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg and breaking his back in an off-duty accident.

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center and Lake Elsinore Station, along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.