At least nine people were injured, including two critically, in a crash involving 20 vehicles on Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, California, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP).
The big rig was carrying clay from San Jose when its brakes went out as it came down Highway 17 onto Highway 1.
The rig plowed into stopped traffic waiting at a red light, CHP officials told the news outlet.
“Preliminary investigation reveals the brakes went out. Witnesses observed the tires smoking on the vehicle.” said CHP Officer Grant Boles. “There were numerous injuries, with two or three critical taken to area hospitals.”
The truck stopped after hitting guardrails and vehicles, Boles said.
“He was essentially out of control, so he’s going 40 to 50 miles an hour just clipping cars,” explained Boles. “He just came through and plowed through all the cars … Most of the vehicles were struck from behind and pushed out of the way.”
Boles said the two people who were critically hurt are expected to survive.
“There was a lot of traffic and both lanes were stopped a good ways back and I heard first the crashing and I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the tractor trailer coming through at a really high speed and it was just running into cars and bouncing off cars,” said Santa Cruz resident David Heller, according to the CBS affiliate. “I knew I was going to get hit … then it came through and caught fire and kept driving for quite a ways … He was going really fast.”
“So quickly like I didn’t even know what happened to tell you the truth,” Mary Sierra, who was on her way to work, told ABC7. “I was kind of in shock, and somebody had to come to the car and tell me to get out because it was smoking. So she helped me get out through the passenger side.”
Highway 1 was closed for about six hours in the area of the crash, officials told ABC7.
“Santa Cruz county, we’ve seen this before unfortunately. On Highway 17 we’ve had an infant killed on a major incident just like this,” explained Boles.
