Steel Beam Falls On 10 Freeway, Killing 1 And Shutting Down Freeway For Hours

ONTARIO, CA — A truck knocked loose a beam from I-10 overpass construction early Thursday morning, causing it to fall into traffic where several cars struck the beam, killing at least one person, according to the California Highway Patrol. The crash shut down all westbound lanes for hours.

Shortly before 3:30 a.m., multiple vehicles heading westbound on I-10 at the I-15 struck the beam from the freeway bridge after a semi-truck struck the overpass, according to the CHP. That incident led to a multi-car crash. An unknown number of people were hurt in the chain-reaction crashes. One person was pronounced deceased at a nearby hospital.

"As a result, steel beams were dislodged and shifted, and one fell onto the freeway below," The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority confirmed.

By 9:30 a.m., tow trucks were arriving at the scene to remove the semi-truck and other vehicles impacted by the crash.

Construction workers spent the rest of the day ensuring it was safe for motorists, and all lanes reopened by noon, though traffic remained heavy in the Ontario area for the remainder of the day.