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Shocking footage captured the moment a semi-truck crashed into a stalled sedan on the 15 Freeway in San Bernardino County Monday night, killing a Corona man and sending debris flying across the roadway.
The crash occurred just after 9 p.m. on July 14 on the southbound side of the freeway near Hodge Road, in the Barstow area, according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP officials said the victim, a 56-year-old man from Corona, was driving a 2023 Honda Civic when, for unknown reasons, he came to a stop in the #3 lane. Moments later, a 47-year-old man from Washington, Pennsylvania, driving a 2023 Volvo semi-truck with a 53-foot-long trailer, failed to see the stopped vehicle and slammed into it from behind.
Graphic video provided by stringer service OnScene.TV shows the moment of impact, with the force of the crash crushing the Honda’s trunk into the back seat and pushing both vehicles across the freeway and into the center median.
Unconfirmed reports by OnSceneTV say a Good Samaritan had stopped alongside the freeway and was using a spotlight to illuminate the disabled Honda, attempting to warn oncoming traffic. Despite those efforts, the semi-truck did not stop in time. The stringer service did not mention how close the Good Samaritan was to the incident, but CHP did not mention other injuries.
Emergency crews from CHP, San Bernardino County Fire, and Desert Ambulance responded within minutes and attempted CPR on the driver of the sedan, as seen in the footage. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the semi-truck was uninjured and remained at the scene, fully cooperating with investigators.
CHP officials said it remains unclear whether alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.
“On behalf of the California Highway Patrol, I offer my sincere condolences to the families affected,” CHP Barstow Area Commander Capt. Erich Meeker said in a statement. “As this investigation proceeds, we hope to learn more about this crash and how future incidents and tragic loss of life may be avoided. The California Highway Patrol urges all motorists who need to stop to exit the freeway or pull over at the safest place available and activate the vehicle’s hazard lights.”
The crash remains under investigation by the CHP’s Barstow Area Office. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Officer D. Alvarez at 760-255-5900.
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