A trucker lost his life after he drove off the road and down an embankment in order to avoid a collision with another vehicle.

The driver of a fully-loaded Peterbilt tractor-trailer was southbound on Interstate 5 near Santa Clarita when a Bakersfield man in a Lexus apparently passed the truck and then pulled in front of it without giving the driver adequate room. To avert a crash, the Peterbilt driver swerved to the right, and in so doing, lost control of the vehicle which tumbled down a steep embankment. The vehicle overturned and the injured driver was pinned inside. First Responders worked feverishly to free him, but he did not survive and was declared dead at the scene.

None of the names were released.

Truck Driver Citations

This wreck occurred in the extreme southern part of the Grapevine, and there is a VC 22407 special speed zone in this area that reduces the speed limit for large trucks to 35mph, because of the somewhat steep grade. According to the law, there must be a current traffic survey that justifies the different speed limit on file, and for various reasons that include budget cuts and simple neglect, such traffic studies are in short supply these days.

The Grapevine is a traffic enforcement priority because of incidents just like the one described above. The 35mph is almost impossible to observe, especially because most trucks have automatic transmissions that make it harder to downshift. But there’s really no mercy because CHP officers have received marching orders from above to get the truck traffic moving slower on the downhill sections, no matter what.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive lawyers at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-859-1177 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-376-0214.