A freak sandstorm caused two serious pileups, injuring 6 people and forcing the closure of the 14 Freeway during evening rush hour on Tuesday, May 28th. The freeway was closed for over three hours in both directions.
According to authorities, winds were gusting up to 60 mph and visibility was reduced to about 50 feet during the sandstorm. A 20-car-collision occurred on the northbound 14 Freeway at Avenue D around 4 p.m. and a 5-vehicle accident occurred separately. Both chain-reaction crashes sent at least six people to the hospital.
CHP attempted to escort vehicles through the storm, but were unable to do so easily, leading to the freeway closure. A separate crash occurring while the winds were dying down caused a separate closure on the freeway around 8 p.m., but is not believed to be related to the sandstorm.
