Thread: Two killed in recently reopened Pacific Coast Highway wreck

Two killed in recently reopened Pacific Coast Highway collision
Daily News
Article Last Updated: 10/24/2007 07:38:17 PM PDT


MALIBU - Two people were killed today and a third -- a Los Angeles County firefighter -- was injured in a fiery collision involving a gravel- hauling big rig and two other vehicles in Malibu, authorities said.
The crash occurred about 10 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Kanan Dume Road, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jose Nunez. The two victims died at the scene, Nunez said. Their names were not immediately released.

According to Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Philip Brooks, the big rig driver was traveling illegally on Kanan Dume Road, which is off-limits to truck traffic. He noted that many truck drivers have been using Kanan Dume in the past several days because Malibu Canyon Road, the normal truck route, has been closed because of the brush fire in the area.

According to Brooks, the truck driver was traveling at about 70 mph and could not stop as he traveled downhill on Kanan Dume, then ran through the red light at Pacific Coast Highway, slamming into two vehicles. The driver of the first car, a Mercedes, was killed on impact, Brooks said.

The truck also hit a vehicle being driven by a county firefighter on his way to work. The firefighter, who suffered a broken ankle, was trapped in his vehicle, but another driver pulled him from the vehicle before it broke into flames, Brooks said.

After hitting the two vehicles, the truck smashed into an embankment, sending gravel flying into the air and killing the driver, according to Brooks. Chris Freeman of
the county Fire Department said the injured firefighter was taken to UCLA Medical Center.
Sheriff's Deputy Oscar Butao said the firefighter was on his way to work when the accident occurred.

That stretch of PCH was closed for about six hours, as was Kanan Dume Road from PCH to Mulholland Highway.

Brooks said the collision occurred at the bottom of an 8-mile-long, 8 percent grade. He said there have been two similar fatal collisions involving trucks at the same location over the past decade, and like today's crash, the drivers involved did not use a runaway truck lane at the site.

Brooks said the driver likely panicked or could not read the signs in English.

Brooks said the driver likely panicked or could not read the signs in English.

Kind of important for truckers to know how to deal with an 8 percent downhill grade...and know how to handle the weight and truck they are driving....but even more important to READ ENGLISH like federal CDL Guidelines require
More blood on the administrations hands

This is three miles from me. I drive that road almost daily. Trucks should not be on that road. Scary stuff.