CAJON PASS, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> A semi tractor trailer barrels through the truck escape ramp on southbound Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass Friday afternoon. (Photo above is credit by Rosmery Selena)
The crash happened around 2:22pm on Friday, October 13, 2023, on southbound Interstate 15 at the truck escape ramp. The semi smash at the ended up at the end of the ramp, stated on the California Highway Patrol traffic log. A small brush fire started at the crash scene and was quickly extinguish by San Bernardino County Fire Department.
An early investigation indicates the man was driving a tractor-trailer fully loaded pallets of cardboard, when it suddenly lost its brakes and began traveling out of control at high speeds. The male driver made a decision to aim for the escape ramp as the safest course of action, sending the semi into the hillside.
The semi driver was able to escape with only minor injuries.
A runaway truck ramp, runaway truck lane, escape lane, emergency escape ramp, or truck arrester bed is a traffic device that enables vehicles which are having braking problems to stop safely. It is typically a long, sand- or gravel-filled lane connected to a steep downhill grade section of a main road, and is designed to accommodate large trucks or buses. It allows a moving vehicle’s kinetic energy to be dissipated gradually in a controlled and relatively harmless way, helping the operator stop it safely.
Officials have not yet released details on the crash, but photos sent to Pain In The Pass Facebook Group show the wreckage where the truck appeared to have gone through the end of the ramp.
We will update this story with more information when the CHP’s preliminary accident report is available. Additional details were limited at this time. This incident will be under investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Inland Office.
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