Freightliner crashes into several cars on Highway 58 causing fire

Kramer Junction, Calif. (VVNG.com) A multi-vehicle crash involving a semi occurred Sunday afternoon causing at least one vehicle to catch fire.

Barstow Dispatch Center received a call of a collision on State Route 58 westbound, east of US-395 at about 2:53 p.m., April 7th, 2019.

When First Responders arrived on scene, they located 9 people who were involved in the collision, two of them sustained critical injuries and required to be airlifted to trauma centers. 7 sustained moderate to minor injuries.

Two helicopters were requested to land at the scene.

Barstow Area CHP officers responded to the scene and established the following based on their investigations:

• A 44-year-old adult male from Turlock, CA was
  driving a white Freightliner tractor-trailer combination, westbound on State Route 58, east of US-395, at approximately 55-60 miles per hour.
• A 54-year-old adult male from Anna, TX was driving a white Chevrolet Silverado and was at a complete stop in heavy traffic.
• A 54-year-old adult male from Bakersfield, CA was driving a black Cadillac DTS and was at a complete stop, directly in-front of the Chevrolet.
• A 48-year-old adult male from Lancaster, CA was driving a white Nissan Maxima and was at a complete stop, directly in-front of the Cadillac.
• A 40-year-old adult male from Bakersfield, CA was driving a black Hyundai Sonata and was at a complete stop, directly in-front of the Nissan.

The driver of the Freightliner continued within the westbound lanes and for reasons still under investigation, failed to slow as he approached the above-mentioned vehicles, CHP officials confirmed.

The Freightliner collided into the rear of the Chevrolet and propelled the Chevrolet in southwesterly direction, towards open dirt terrain.

Following the collision, the Freightliner collided into the rear of the Cadillac and propelled it on southwesterly direction.

Due to the extent of the damage, the Cadillac became fully engulfed and the fire was subsequently extinguished by fire personnel.

After colliding into the Cadillac, the Freightliner continued in a westerly direction and later collided into the rear of the Nissan.

Upon colliding into the Nissan, the front of the Nissan impacted the rear of the Hyundai, propelling it in a westerly direction.

Due to the extent of the impact, the Nissan was crushed by the Freightliner and was pushed in a northwesterly direction.

The Nissan and Freightliner subsequently came to rest in the open dirt terrain, north of State Route 58.

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