Quick Facts:
Where: The accident occurred in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 8 near the exchange with Dunbar Lane in El Cajon, California.
What Happened: A tractor-trailer’s load of steel sheets shifted and penetrated the truck’s cab.
Participants:
- Driver of tractor-trailer
Reported Injuries/Fatalities:
- Driver of tractor-trailer, killed
Details:
On or about Tuesday, January 4th, 2021, around 2:53 in the afternoon, a serious single-vehicle tractor-trailer accident involving a shifted load left one individual dead. Representatives from the CHP said the accident was reported along the eastbound side of Interstate 8 near the exit for Dunbar Lane in El Cajon, California.
Authorities from the California Highway Patrol said one as-of-yet unidentified truck driver was killed when allegedly improperly secured or loaded steel sheets penetrated the tractor-trailer’s cab when the truck slowed or stopped on I-8. Emergency responders pronounced the driver of the tractor-trailer dead from his injuries a short time after they responded to the scene of the accident. Officials did not mention any other vehicles or injuries in their statement on the accident.
According to Google Maps, Interstate 8 winds east and west through El Cajon, which is about 15 miles east of downtown San Diego.
Officials noted that the steel sheets were considered an “inappropriately secured load” in their initial report on the incident.