Update: Kenneth Thompson, driver of the commercial vehicle involved in this incident, sent the following statement to SCVNews.com.
“I am the driver from this accident, and I just wanted to give a little clarity on the situation. It’s been found that the transmission malfunctioned while coming down the hill. It kicked the vehicle out of gear and there was no way to get the truck back in gear. I entered the hill in the far right lane at 30 mph and after hearing the loud bang. Started to pick up speed quickly. Definitely a terrifying ordeal, but my main focus was not injuring anyone else so I’m happy with the outcome.”
The Fort Tejon Area Office of the California Highway Patrol is responsible for patrolling 1,300 square miles of freeway, roadway and unincorporated areas in three counties. This includes almost 400 miles of county roads and over 20 miles of Interstate 5.
The “Grapevine,” which is I-5 from Fort Tejon road to Grapevine Road, consists of a 6% grade that is highly traveled by commercial and other motorists. The northbound lanes contain a 35 mph commercial zone which is strictly enforced to ensure the safety of all motorists. The grade contains two Runaway Truck Escape Ramps, one to the east of the freeway and one ramp to the west.
Recently a commercial vehicle traveling northbound made use of an I-5 Runaway Truck Escape Ramp before being involved in, or causing an accident.
The ramps are located on the east and west side of northbound I-5 for this reason. It is unknown at this time what caused the truck driver to need to use the ramp, but this commercial vehicle was traveling at such a high rate of speed prior to entering the ramp it almost traveled to the end of the ramp.
Officers from the CHP in Fort Tejon remind commercial drivers that performing the pre-trip inspection prior to travel is of the utmost importance, drivers are reminded to not rush the inspection. Make sure the equipment is in good working order and the load is secure before hitting the road.
Obey all laws related to commercial vehicles, especially lanes and speed limits.
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1 Comment
Good morning, I am the driver from this accident, and I just wanted to give a little clarity on the situation. It’s been found that the transmission malfunctioned while coming down the hill. It kicked the vehicle out of gear and there was no way to get the truck back in gear. I entered the hill in the far right lane at 30mph and after hearing the loud bang. Started to pick up speed quickly. Definitely a terrifying ordeal, but my main focus was not injuring anyone else so I’m happy with the outcome.