A field truck veered right into a guardrail close to Chino Hills, hanging staff who had been cleansing up alongside the 71 Freeway, killing two, injuring one other and creating visitors gridlock for commuters Monday morning.
On the northbound lanes of the 71 Freeway, a cleanup crew of a few seven staff employed by Caltrans was working behind the suitable shoulder guardrail, simply previous Euclid Avenue. Just a few toes behind them on the suitable shoulder was their van with an connected trailer, each flashing hazard lights.
The entire crew members had been standing outdoors the white Ford Transit van aside from the van driver, William Hope, 59, of Beaumont.
Round 8:37 a.m. a Peterbilt field truck sideswiped the parked van, inflicting the truck to lose management, mentioned Rodrigo Jimenez, public info officer for the California Freeway Patrol.
ABC7’s on scene video exhibits the work van had a emblem on it for Chrysalis, a nonprofit that gives job-readiness packages to help low-income and unhoused folks find employment. Jimenez confirmed the crew members had been from Chrysalis.
The truck veered off the street and crashed by the guardrail the place the crew was working.
Because the truck was descending into the shoulder of the freeway, it struck two of the employees, each San Bernardino County residents, initially killing one — a 54-year-old man who sustained deadly accidents and was pronounced lifeless on scene by the Chino Valley Fireplace Division.
The second crew member who was hit, a 36-year-old man, was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Heart with main accidents and later succumbed to them, Jimenez mentioned. Neither man’s title has been launched as of early Monday night.
Hope, the motive force of the Ford Transit, was additionally transported to the hospital with minor accidents.
Officers are nonetheless investigating why the truck sideswiped the parked van.
The truck driver, Ruben Gallegos, 34, of Pomona, complied with a sobriety take a look at, which dominated out any impairment, together with alcohol or medication, Jimenez mentioned.
“We’re nonetheless making an attempt to find out why the motive force misplaced management however as of now there’s no prison expenses,” he mentioned.
Jimenez cautioned that drivers ought to transfer over a lane after they see staff or emergency responders stopped on the facet of the street, per California’s Transfer Over legislation, giving them “a buffer.”
If drivers are unable to maneuver over due to visitors, Jimenez mentioned motorists ought to decelerate whereas passing and be alert on the roadway.
The 2 northbound lanes on Freeway 71 had been closed Monday morning and into the afternoon and the one lane that was open was the carpool lane, so “as we begin getting nearer to the commute hours visitors goes to be affected by this,” Jimenez mentioned.
