Last Updated on July 25, 2018 by CCAR Staff
A wrong-way crash between an SUV and a semi on the 60 Freeway in Jurupa Valley caused only minor injuries but closed most eastbound lanes for more than three hours Wednesday, July 25, according to the California Highway Patrol.
By the time the scene at the Pedley Road offramp was cleared about 3 p.m., traffic on the 60 had gotten backed up more than 6 miles, past the interchange with the 15 Freeway to about Archibald Avenue in Ontario. The 15 in both directions was also congested north and south of the 60.
About 11:40 a.m., a Cadillac SUV that had been driving west on the 60 exited at Pedley and then, for some reason, turned onto the offramp from the eastbound side and drove up it, CHP Officer Dan Olivas said.
The SUV got to the top of the ramp at the same time a semi was trying to exit, Olivas said. The semi driver tried to avoid the SUV by swerving left, but clipped the vehicle and then hit the center divider.
The semi trailer ended up sideways across most of the freeway, blocking all but the No. 4 lane.
Adding to the mess, the semi spilled about 30 gallons of fuel onto the freeway that needed to be cleaned up, according to a CHP incident log.
Both drivers suffered minor injuries.
“Luckily, nobody got hurt too badly,” Olivas said.
He said drugs and alcohol don’t appear to have contributed to the crash.
As a tow truck tried to reach the crash, reports from the scene indicated drivers were trying to use the shoulder of the freeway to get around the blockage.
