Semi-Truck Topples On 91 Freeway, Injures 4

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A semi truck carrying a load of sand and gravel overturned Monday morning causing a traffic nightmare on the 91 Freeway westbound, just east of Magnolia, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Drivers were asked to seek alternate routes west, as the 91 Freeway between the 57 and the 5 was at a standstill. Four people were hurt between the big rig and three other vehicles that shut down all westbound lanes of the Riverside (91) Freeway near the Santa Ana (5) Freeway. One was reported as trapped.

"The incident was reported just after 10 a.m. Monday," CHP information officer Monica Posada said. "The overturned big rig was blocking all lanes."

Sand spilled out of the truck, prompting a call for a sweeper vehicle and a tow truck to remove the overturned rig, CHP said. Four people were taken to area hospitals, but the severity of their injuries was not immediately clear, according to a Metronet ambulance service dispatcher. One of the injured was trapped in one of the vehicles and had to be freed from the wreckage, the dispatcher said.

A full SIG alert was underway for two hours, and as of 12:30 p.m., the HOV lane has reopened. However lanes 1-4 are still closed for the cleanup.

"CalTrans is working on overturning and removing the big rig as we speak and removing debris from the roadway," Posada said. The cause of the overturned big rig is still under investigation.

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