ONTARIO, CA. — Three people lost their lives Tuesday following a major big rig crash on 10 Freeway, near the 15 Freeway interchange, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The collision happened around 1:15 p.m., when one of the semi-trucks reportedly failed to brake in time and slammed into another big rig, triggering a chain reaction involving at least six vehicles, including two pickup trucks and two passenger cars.
According to CHP, one of the truck drivers —a 21-year-old man from Yuba City— was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. His name has not been released.
Aerial footage from local news outlets showed multiple vehicles heavily damaged across the freeway, with the passenger cars sustaining the worst impact. The three victims who died were inside those smaller vehicles.
Authorities have not yet released the victims’ identities, as the investigation into the exact cause of the crash remains ongoing.
As a result of the collision, all westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway were shut down for several hours, causing major traffic delays throughout the area.
