Runaway big rig leads to at least 8-vehicle pile-up on the 405 Freeway in West L.A. [Updated]
A driver who may have suffered a heart attack lost control of his big rig on the 405 Freeway during the height of the Wednesday afternoon rush on Los Angeles' Westside, leading to an eight-car pile-up, authorities said.
[Updated at 5:25 p.m.: After initial reports that 15 vehicles were involved in the crash, Los Angeles Fire Department officials reduced the number to eight. California Highway Patrol officials estimated there were a dozen.]
The number of injuries was not immediately known, but the CHP confirmed that paramedics were treating a man for a medical emergency, which sources familiar with the incident believe may have been a heart attack.
The pile-up was reported about 4:30 p.m. on the northbound 405 just north of its junction with the 10 Freeway. It was touched off by what CHP officials described as a "runaway truck."
The CHP said several of the northbound lanes of the 405 were closed.
-- Andrew Blankstein
EDITOR'S PICKS:
driving on the 405 will give you a heart attack everytime.....
Posted by: boil | October 27, 2010 at 05:35 PM
Hopefully the driver of that truck will be smart not to get behind the wheel of a truck again, otherwise innocent people will get hurt on account of him.
Posted by: phoenixandrew | October 27, 2010 at 06:17 PM
The reports on traffic sites made it sound like a crazy situation. The big rig seemed to have kept going for quite a while after the collisions.
Posted by: kw | October 27, 2010 at 06:28 PM
Hope the driver's okay. Still don't miss driving on the 405.
Posted by: Daniel Durazo | October 27, 2010 at 06:47 PM
i hope he's ok.
Posted by: save the deserts! | October 27, 2010 at 08:44 PM
"Hopefully the driver of that truck will be smart not to get behind the wheel of a truck again, otherwise innocent people will get hurt on account of him."
Yeah! Hopefully the guy who had a heart attack will be smart enough not to have another heart attack! Only LIEberals and DUMBocrats have heart attacks behind the wheel. MEG WHATMAN 2010 CURLY FOIRANA 2010 VOTE!!
Posted by: EastHollywood | October 27, 2010 at 08:49 PM
Actually it was 15 cars involved, I just happen to know the CHP who was on the 405 when this occured and it was 15. and I would take a CHP's word over the fire department, because CHP is first response.
Posted by: BrittnNAY | October 27, 2010 at 08:59 PM
People drive the 405? God help them....
Posted by: Michael E. Gordon | October 28, 2010 at 07:58 AM
@Mike Gordon
Nah we don't drive on the 4o5, its more like crawl.
Posted by: Alan | October 28, 2010 at 08:28 AM
CHP isn't alway the first to respond and so sad all you can think about is whether he will drive again...so sad, Heart Attacks are not a planned event in someones life they can happen to anyone with no warning, I hope you are all smart enough to stay of the road if thats how you feel about people who have heart attacks behind the wheel, you could be NEXT!! Wisen up and know true facts before running the mouth peopel and wake up
Posted by: Lisa | October 29, 2010 at 07:18 AM