Dump Truck Overturns On I-8 Offramp And Falls 30-50 Feet Into Riverbed

SAN DIEGO, CA — A dump truck crashed through a bridge railing on Interstate 8 and fell down an embankment into a riverbed 30-50 feet below Thursday morning, trapping the driver inside and closing down two off-ramps for several hours.

At around 10:20 a.m., a truck on the Morena Boulevard off-ramp from westbound I-8 took out the bridge railing on the left hand side of the road and fell 30-50 feet to a hillside below the freeway, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Crews were able to remove the driver from the truck in about 40 minutes and take him to UC San Diego Medical Center, San Diego Fire-Rescue said. CHP Patrol Sgt. Robert Holts told NBC San Diego that the driver had moderate to major injuries.

The truck’s fuel tank spilled into the riverbed below, and left a field of debris on the off-ramp that is still being cleaned up. The east and westbound off-ramps from I-8 to Morena Boulevard are closed for at least three hours, officials said.

The crash occurred for unknown reasons, CHP said. Holts said officials are not overly concerned about structural damage to the off-ramp.

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