NEWBERRY SPRINGS, Calif. (VVNG.com) — Motorists traveling westbound on Interstate 40 through Newberry Springs are facing heavy traffic Wednesday evening after severe weather, downed power lines, and an overturned semi-truck disrupted travel east of Hector Road.
The incident was first reported at about 3:16 p.m. on Aug. 12, 2026, according to California Highway Patrol incident logs.
The semi-truck and trailer were initially blocking the right lane, while traffic was able to get by in the left lane. A subsequent entry indicated the truck and trailer had overturned.
Conditions in the area were complicated by severe weather. CHP logs reported a large body of water east of Hector Road estimated to be about 1.5 feet deep. Power lines were also reported across the eastbound and westbound lanes during the afternoon.
Firefighters responding to the area reported that power lines had landed on top of a vehicle, trapping the occupants inside and requiring rescue assistance from the fire department.
The CHP Barstow Area office, which is handling the incident, said in a 5 p.m. traffic alert that all lanes had reopened following the earlier weather-related downed power lines. However, the crash continued to block the No. 2 lane, and traffic was heavy but moving slowly.
Tow trucks were reported at the scene as crews worked to handle the crash. As of the latest CHP incident log update at 5:54 p.m., the No. 2 lane remained closed.
No information about injuries or an estimated time for the lane to reopen was included in the information provided.
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