BMW hangs perilously over the edge of a freeway bridge over a ravine in Buellton, CA after semi truck knocked it through the concrete railing. Photo credit: Keyt.com

Buellton is located in Santa Barbara County, California on the Pacific coast in the south west part of the state about 345 miles southeast of Santa Rosa, 280 miles southeast of San Leandro, 189 miles southeast of Salinas and 43 miles northwest of Santa Barbara.

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Buellton, which is more well known for its split pea soup, was the scene of a dramatic rescue to save the lives of a San Juan Capistrano, CA family that was trapped in their car that was dangling over the edge of the bridge.

The accident happened around 2:40 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2012 in the the 101 freeway in Buellton, CA on a bridge over a creek about .7 of a mile south of Santa Rosa Rd.

Map showing location of semi truck accident near Buellton, CA on the northbound 101 freeway on a creek overpass about .7 mile south of the Santa Rosa Rd. Exit.

The BMW was traveling northbound on U.S. 101 in the left lane and was struck by an 18 wheeler that came up on the right. The crash pushed the BMW through the concrete railing and the big rig went over the edge into the creek below, then burst into flames.

The occupants of the car were a 36 year-old mother, her 10 year-old daughter and 10-week old infant. Unfortunately, the truck driver perished in the accident, his tractor-trailer fully engulfed in flames in the creek bed below.

The accident damaged the bridges in both directions of traffic. A group of Navy Seabees happened to be stuck in traffic on the southbound side. The Seabees sprung into action and used a forklift to support the car and keep it from falling and allow rescue personnel to safely extract the occupants.

An article in the Keyt.com website reported on the story:

Santa Barbara County Firefighters, with an eight engine response team, arrived on scene to find a big rig truck fully engulfed in flames at the bottom of a creek. Kelli Groves, 36, her daughter 10-year old Sage and 10-week-old infant, Milo, all of San Juan Capistrano, were trapped inside their BMW, dangling off the side of a bridge

The big rig driver, who died at the scene, was identified as Charles Arthur Allison Jr., 48 years old, from Grover Beach, CA. The occupants of the BMW were Kelli Groves, 36 years old, her daughter Sage, 10 years old and her 10-week-old baby, Milo.

They were transported to a hospital in Santa Barbara, where they were reported to have “sustained broken bones and moderate injuries.” No other details are available as to their injuries or their condition.

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) closed down 101 traffic in both directions until the rescue was complete and the accident scene was cleared.

It was reported that about 50 gallons of diesel fuel was spilled into the creek below. Hazmat personnel were called in to deal with the hazardous materials.

The cause of the accident is not known at this time but is currently under investigation. Investigators do not know why the big rig lost control and swerved into the BMW, crashed through the concrete rail and plunged 50 feet into the creek below.

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Charred remains of an 18 wheeler after smashing into the concrete support of an overpass and bursting into flames on Wednesday, December 28, 2011 in Manteca, CA.

Manteca is located in San Joaquin County, California in the central part of the state about 64 miles southeast of Concord, 62 miles southeast of Sacramento and 51 miles northeast of Hayward.

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The fiery crash separated the cab from the tractor trailer and sent it along with the truck driver across the highway where it came to rest on the other side of the road.

The accident occurred around 10:00 a.m. on the southbound Highway 99 at the Louise Ave overpass in Manteca. The tractor trailer sideswiped a Honda sedan just north of the overpass, then went across the highway and into the grassy median.

Map showing location of fiery semi truck accident on Highway 99 in Manteca, CA at the Louise Ave overpass.

The big rig then went out of control and hit a bridge support on the overpass which severed the cab and sent it skidding across the northbound lanes where it finally came to rest on the ground next to the bridge and off the northbound roadway.

A Courageous and Compassionate Medical Assistant Helps The Injured Trucker

The truck burst into flames sending a column of thick black smoke into the sky. The driver remained in the severed cab with a bleeding head wound. Sandra Gardere, a 34 year-old medical assistant from Manteca, happened to be driving on the highway at the time.

She pulled over and sprung into action tending to the truck driver’s injuries and fearlessly stayed with him while a fire was erupting only yards away. She stayed by his side the whole time, never leaving him and applied presssure to his wound with a towel and kept him conscious by talking with him until emergency medics arrived and airlifted him to the hospital.

An article in the Stockton Record website reported on the dramatic story:

“He had a huge gash above his right eye that was just bleeding all over the place,” said Sandra Gardere of Manteca. “He almost lost consciousness a few times, … and as this was going on, the tires were burning and exploding, and I was hoping it wasn’t the gas tank.”

The trucker, 56 year-old Anthony Mata, was transported by air ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, CA, where he was reported to be in serious condition.

The driver of the Honda that was sideswiped by the big rig was reported to be unharmed.

Cal Trans officials examined the overpass and bridge supports to determine if any structural damage had occurred to the overpass. According to officials, the damage was cosmetic. The bridge structure was determined to be sound but repairs would have to be made.

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Billows of thick black smoke can be seen for miles from a fuel tanker explosion and fire that caused major structural damage to an overpass on the 60 Freeway in Montebello, CA.

Montebello is located in Los Angeles County, California in the southern part of the state about 20 miles southeast of Burbank, 16 miles southeast of Glendale and 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

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The incident began around noon on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 when a double tanker truck carrying 8,800 gallons of gasoline caught fire on the eastbound Pomona Freeway (the 60 Freeway), which is a major artery in Southern California.

The tanker stopped under the Paramount Bl. overpass and the big rig driver along with a passenger managed to get out of the truck in time without getting hurt.

Map showing location of fuel tanker explosion and fire in Montebello, CA on the Pomona Freeway (the 60 freeway) at the Paramount Bl exit and overpass.

Fortunately, neither the trucker nor any motorists or pedestrians were injured, but it was reported that a firefighter suffered a broken leg while fighting the blaze.

However, the incident did involve hazardous materials so a HazMat team was dispatched to monitor the situation. There were no evacuations ordered as a result of the hazardous materials.

The incident caused extensive structural damage to the overpass and a portion of it is scheduled for demolition. CalTrans, (the California Department of Transportation) is monitoring the situation and the demolition is slated to begin immediately. The repairs should be completed rapidly due to the traffic demands in the area.

The fire was so intense that the concrete from the overpass was popping off and crumbling away. In some of the aerial news footage, chunks of crumbled concrete could be seen blanketing the westbound traffic lanes.

Billows of thick black smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles, darkening the sky.

The biggest inconvenience will be to motorists who have to find alternate routes until the freeway is reopened.

The cause of the fire is not known at this time but is currently under investigation.

An article in the NBC Channel 4 website reported on the story. In the article CHP Officer Saul Gomez made some interesting observations:

We don’t know what caused this thing to spark up, but we can tell you that this is an extremely dangerous situation, … With these big rigs, anything can happen … Many times what we’ve seen is that they usually spark up from a brake problem, an electrical problem. It could be a myriad of things. At the moment we don’t have that information though.

Gomez’s remarks are telling. A passing motorist shot a video from his cell phone as he was traveling the opposite direction under the overpass. In the video one can see flames under the front tanker trailer developing around the left front tire of the dual axle in the rear of the tanker. It looks like the tire is completely on fire.

WATCH VIDEO – NOTICE THE FRONT TIRE OF THE DUAL AXLE OF THE FRONT TANKER

It took firefighters about two hours to extinguish the flames. The semi tractor and cab plus the front tanker trailer were completely consumed in the blaze. Hopefully, investigators will be able to sift throught the ashes and find the cause of the fire.

Burn injuries are very common in this type of situation and it was very fortunate that no one suffered any burn injury in this incident.

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Intersection facing east on Rose Ave. at Zediker in Kingsburg, CA where a DUI truck accident occurred on November 20, 2011. Stop sign is on Zediker.

Kingsburg is located in Fresno County, CA in the central part of the state, about 198 miles northwest of Los Angeles, 22 miles southeast of Fresno and about 6 miles southeast of Selma.

The accident occurred just after 2:00 p.m. on Sunday at the intersection of Zediker and Rose in Kingsburg. A passenger car was traveling southbound on Zediker when it failed to stop at a stop sign and was struck on the passenger side of the car by a pickup truck moving eastbound on Rose.

Map showing location of truck accident on November 20, 2011 involving a driver charged with DUI in Kingsburg, CA on Zediker and Rose Avenue.

There was one occupant in the pickup truck and two occupants in the passenger car. All occupants were injured in the collision. The passenger of the car suffered major injuries. He is 21 years old and lives in Dinuba, CA, located about 11 miles northeast of Kingsburg.

Both the driver and the passenger of the car were transported to Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno for treatment. The driver was treated for his injuries and then arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated. He is 19 years old and is a resident of Kingsburg.

The driver of the pickup truck, was reported to have suffered only minor injuries and was not taken to the hospital. The driver is 52 years old and lives in Selma, CA.

Related searches:

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Map showing location of fatal dump truck accident in the 4600 block of Pacheco Blvd in Martinez, CA on August 31, 2011.

The Contra Costa Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol said the accident occurred just after 10 a.m. at a work site in the 4600 block of Pacheco Boulevard in unincorporated Martinez.

Mercury News reports:

State investigators are probing the death of a Concord man in a dump-truck accident Wednesday, authorities said.

Sheriff’s spokesman Jimmy Lee said detectives determined there was no criminal aspect to the accident, and that investigators from the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health have been summoned to investigate.

This comes on the heels of an accident Monday off Vasco Road, near the Contra Costa-Alameda County line, in which 52-year-old Fred Telford of Hilmar was killed when his bulldozer tipped over and rolled over him. Cal-OSHA is also investigating that death.

Truck Accidents 360 is a truck accident attorney news blog that reports on up to date truck accidents, truck accident attorneys and legal news across the United States. Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with truck accident lawyers who know the trucking laws for each state. Find out more information about Los Angeles truck accident lawyers.

California, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of big rig truck accidents. California metropolitan cities besides Los Angeles with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Compton, Concord, Corona, Costa Mesa, Culver City and Escondido to name a few.

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The driver of a semi truck was injured in a collision between his big rig and an Amtrak passenger train on August 1, 2011 north of Fairfield, CA just outside Vacaville.

The semi truck was stopped on the railroad tracks when it was struck by a Coast Starlight Amtrak train.

Map showing location of collision between a tractor-trailer and an Amtrak passenger train at the Canon Rd. rail crossing just east of Vanden Rd. near the cities of Vacaville and Fairfield, CA.

CHP Officer Tony Blencowe told the media that Mark Eugene Manley, 51, of Galt, was driving a 2006 Peterbilt truck with a trailer on westbound Cannon Road east of Vanden Road around 8:30 a.m.

Manley stopped his truck with the trailer blocking the tracks and did not realize the Amtrak train with 290 passengers was approaching until it was very close, Blencowe said.

According to the CHP, the collision knocked the 18 wheeler trailer on its side, but the driver was able to get out of the truck. Reports said that neither Manley nor the train operator were injured. There were also no reports of passenger injuries at the time of the incident.

Source: Bay City News Service

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said it appears the truck pulled in front of the train at the Cannon Road crossing. She said there are gates and lights at that crossing.

The collision knocked the big-rig’s trailer on its side, but the driver was able to get out of the truck and tried to clear debris from the roadway, according to the CHP.

The train involved in the accident was a Coast Starlight train that had come from Seattle and was heading to Los Angeles. As of 10:30 a.m., the train was still at the scene.

Amtrak spokeswoman Vernae Graham said one of the two tracks opened at 10:30 a.m. and the other opened an hour later. No delays were expected this evening, she said.

The crash damaged one of the Coast Starlight’s two locomotives and the train continued on to Los Angeles with one locomotive, Graham said.

Truck Accidents 360 is a truck accident lawyer news blog that reports on up to date truck accidents, truck accident attorneys and legal news across the United States. Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with truck accident lawyers who know the trucking laws for each state.

California, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of 18 wheeler truck accidents. California cities with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Burbank, Concord, Los Angeles, Rancho Cucamonga, Redondo Beach, Redwood City, Newport Beach and Orange to name a few.

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Marcos Costa, center, reacts in a Pasadena courtroom to being acquitted of second degree murder.… (POOL PHOTO BY Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times)

Costa was charged with second-degree murder, after his runaway 18 wheeler semi truck swerved out of control down Angeles Crest Highway killing 12-year-old Angelina Posca, and her 58-year-old father, Angel George Posca of Palmdale.

The victims were in a sedan that was struck by Costa’s truck when they were pushed along the roadway and struck by several other cars before the truck slammed into a bookstore.

The jurors previously told the court they were in agreement on some of the major allegations but were divided on others.

After a week of deliberations, Costa was acquitted of second-degree murder charges, but the jury decided to convict him of two lesser counts of involuntary manslaughter and three counts of reckless driving causing an injury.

Truck Accidents 360 is a truck accident lawyer news blog that reports on up to date truck accidents, truck accident attorneys and legal news across the United States. Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with truck accident lawyers who know the trucking laws for each state. Find out more information about Los Angeles truck accident lawyers.

California, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of 18 wheeler truck accidents. California metropolitan cities besides Los Angeles with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Mission Viejo, Moreno Valley, Mountain View, Newport Beach and Orange to name a few.

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Costa is charged with seven counts, including second-degree murder, after his runaway 18 wheeler semi truck swerved out of control down Angeles Crest Highway killing 12-year-old Angelina Posca, and her 58-year-old father, Angel George Posca of Palmdale. The victims were in a sedan that was struck by Costa’s truck when they were pushed along the roadway and struck by several other cars before the truck slammed into a bookstore.

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A Los Angeles County prosecutor has argued for the murder conviction of Costa after his runaway semi truck swerved out of control down Angeles Crest Highway, crashing into several vehicles injuring several victims and killing a man and his 12-year old  daughter in Lacañada Flintridge.

Mercury News reports:

A Los Angeles County prosecutor said Costa showed gross negligence by ignoring an off-duty firefighter’s warning that the Angeles Crest Highway through the San Gabriel Mountains was too dangerous for his 25-ton car hauler and he should turn around.

The prosecutor told jurors Tuesday that Costa “turned his big rig into a death rig” by ignoring warnings that the mountain road he was driving on was unsafe for an 18-wheeler.

They said that although he poured water on his smoking brakes, he didn’t wait for them to cool down before continuing on the highway. The truck hurtled down a 1.5-mile-long descent, plowed through cross-traffic and smashed into a bookstore in the foothill suburb of La Canada Flintridge.

Costa’s lawyer argued Wednesday that he was following directions on his GPS to get through the mountains, saw no warning signs and never meant to cause the accident.

“Insidious geography” and the lack of a runaway truck safety ramp were to blame for the April 2009 crash, defense lawyer Edward Murphy said during closing arguments.

“There’s no evidence of criminal intent whatsoever,” Murphy said. “He simply did the best he could.’”

“We know that Mr. Costa was in a panic, doing everything—including praying—to stop the truck,” Murphy said. “Do you think he wanted to hit anybody? … Of course he didn’t.”

“Yes, he did kill them. He killed them in an accident, an accident,” the defense attorney said. “This was a horrendous accident.”

Costa’s testimony concluded with Murphy asking him about his thoughts after the accident had concluded.

“I thought if something happen, I wish it had been with me,” said Costa. “I didn’t want to hurt anybody.” … “I was desperate. I was in a panic. I didn’t know what to do.”

Comments:

Poorly maintained truck brakes are the single greatest factor contributing to truck accidents, according to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). More than 29 percent of truck accidents in the study involved brake failure, brakes out of adjustment, worn brake components, or other problems with the truck brakes. If you have been injured because a truck’s brakes were improperly maintained, please contact a truck accident attorney at Gordon, Elias & Seely, L.L.P. We represent victims of truck accidents nationwide.

The tire and brake assemblies of a tractor-trailer, or 18-wheeler, are highly complex. They require regular maintenance by highly skilled mechanics or they will literally fall apart. When brake components weighing several hundred pounds are jettisoned from a truck traveling at 70 miles an hour the results can be deadly. Loose on the highway, truck brakes can crash through the windshield of a car traveling behind the truck. If they are flung into oncoming traffic, they can tear a car in half.

Also, total brake system failures are rare in trucking accidents. Most often, it is brake deficiency that is the cause of a truck accident. The truck can stop but it takes longer to do so had the braking system been properly maintained. This is why so many rear-end truck collisions occur. Often times, at a truck collision, the truck driver will say “the brakes just gave way” tying to shift fault from him to the brakes but, once agin, this is from bad, deficient or negligent maintenance.

Truck Accidents 360 is a truck accident lawyer news blog that reports on up to date truck accidents, truck accident attorneys and legal news across the United States. Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with truck accident lawyers who know the trucking laws for each state. Find out more information about Los Angeles truck accident lawyers.

California, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of 18 wheeler truck accidents. California metropolitan cities besides Los Angeles with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Antioch, Azusa, Beverly Hills,  Buena Park, Chula Vista and Manhattan Beach to name a few.

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The female driver of the 1999 Chevy Cavalier apparently lost control while traveling northbound on Highway 165, when she over corrected and spun into the path of an 18 wheeler which was heading south at about 35 mph.

The driver of the Cavalier, 67-year-old Esperanza Alvarez of Stevinson, and her 7-year-old passenger Alejandra Murillo of Stevinson, were flown to Modesto hospitals with major injuries.

The Modesto Bee reports:

The 57-year-old female passenger in the Chevy Cavalier was pronounced dead at the scene. The Merced County Coroner’s Office hasn’t released her name.

The big rig’s driver, 25-year-old Damian Wilke of Modesto, was unhurt.

For unknown reasons, Alvarez allowed the tires on the right side of the Cavalier to travel onto the south dirt and gravel shoulder of Highway 165. She turned back to the left and lost control of the vehicle.

The Cavalier began spinning out of control in a counter-clockwise direction, traveling across the southbound lane of Highway 165, into the northbound lane, directly into the big rig’s path. The big rig driver’s applied his brakes, but couldn’t avoid a crash. The left front of the big rig crashed into the right side of the Cavalier

The incident remains under investigation.

Truck Accidents 360 is a truck accident lawyer news blog that reports on up to date truck accidents, truck accident attorneys and legal news across the United States. Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with truck accident lawyers who know the trucking laws for each state. Find out more information about Los Angeles truck accident lawyers.

California, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of 18 wheeler truck accidents. California metropolitan cities besides Los Angeles with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Oxnard, Palmdale and Stockton to name a few.

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Location of truck crash on the westbound Pomona Freeway (Hwy 60) near Whittier Blvd.

The California Highway Patrol reported that the incident occurred a few miles east of downtown Los Angeles shortly after 3 p.m. Tuesday.

CPH Officers told the Los Angeles Times the man was traveling north in the westbound lanes of the freeway near Whittier Boulevard.

The victim was not identified at the time of the truck accident pending notification of next of kin.

No injuries to the truck driver were reported at the time of the accident.

The incident remains under investigation at this time.

Truck Accidents 360 is a truck accident lawyer news blog that reports on up to date truck accidents, truck accident attorneys and legal news across the United States. Since trucking laws are governed by hundreds of regulations, it is important to consult with truck accident lawyers who know the trucking laws for each state. Find out more information about Los Angeles truck accident lawyers.

Los Angeles, due to its high population and vast highway system, has a high incident of 18 wheeler truck accidents. California metropolitan cities besides Los Angeles with a high incident of truck accidents and vehicle collision resulting in severe personal injuries and even death include Arcadia, Costa Mesa and Santa Ana to name a few.

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