La Canada seeks truck ban on crash route
The mayor of La Cañada Flintridge says the city will ask U.S. Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) to seek a ban on trucks on the route where a semi truck crashed into a bookstore, killing two and injuring several others. Mayor Laura Olhasso said truckers unfamiliar with the region rely on GPS systems to navigate Southern California's highways.
"If that gets done, all the rest follows," Olhasso said this morning. "It does highlight a larger problem. Truckers who are not familiar with a local area rely on their GPS for a direct route. If the GPS doesn't have that information, this will be a continual problem, not only in La Cañada Flintridge but communities across the country."
Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said the driver of the truck in Wednesday's accident was from Massachusetts. Marcos Costa, 43, has been arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.
"The driver lost control of his truck and collided into several other vehicles along Angeles Crest Highway, including the one the victims were in," sheriff's officials said in a statement.
The truck came to rest inside the Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse.
— Andrew Blankstein
Photo: A firefighter pauses during rescue work. Credit: Luis Sinco
Other Times coverage
Truck driver arrested in deadly La Cañada crash
EDITOR'S PICKS:
The southbound crest highway (route 2) has divided traffic and a runaway vehicle escape median filled with gravel in the last straight downhill stretch before reaching the freeway in La Canada. This escape median is not marked. Perhaps some kind of sign would help drivers in trouble. Even if the big trucks were banned there are still school buses that use this road.
Posted by: dean day | April 02, 2009 at 11:47 AM
As a big rig driver I will only use Hwy 2 as a last resort, it is a road where skill, experience and extreme caution must be used. The stretch of road from the off ramp to Foothill Blvd. is where the greatest caution must be exercised. It's a very steep downgrade and drivers coming off the Fwy are lulled into thinking it is less, especially if the light is green, most will not slow down and use a gear that is not suited for helping the brakes slow you down, resulting in a speed that is too fast for the turn
Posted by: driver | April 02, 2009 at 01:44 PM
Dean, the median WAS marked with "Runaway Vehicle Escape" signs for years. They were removed about five years ago for some unknown reason. Probably because they made the median "look ugly."
Posted by: Lowell | April 02, 2009 at 02:58 PM
An 18 wheeler weighs far more than a car, and is thus far harder on its brakes coming down a hill. It's not rocket science. Then again, this is CalTrans we're dealing with...
Posted by: Tom A. | April 02, 2009 at 05:39 PM
i actually saw the rig as i was driving home to palmdale going in the opposite direction. As he passed me i smelled his brakes as i went by. he should have stopped and let his brakes cool down. what a moron.
Posted by: ivan cornejo | April 03, 2009 at 11:07 AM