One person was killed and seven were hospitalized when a big rig lost control after a tire blowout on the 57 Freeway, causing a nine-vehicle chain-reaction crash the evening of Wednesday, May 13th. The crash occurred around 7:06 p.m. near Chapman Avenue in Fullerton. Lanes on both sides of the 57 were closed for 15 hours.
The crash started when a big rig traveling south had a front left tire blowout. The driver immediately lost control of the truck, swerving left across numerous lanes before striking a Honda Civic. The Civic and the big rig both struck the center divider. This impact jarred the big rig’s cargo, a forklift, loose. The forklift fell into oncoming traffic and collided with three cars. The semi truck also moved into northbound lanes, where it struck an oncoming Honda Accord. The drive of the Accord was killed in the crash.
Three other vehicles were struck with debris from the collisions. Seven people involved in the incident were taken to local hospitals for minor to moderate injuries. Authorities are continuing to investigate the crash.
