[02-02-2023] Los Angeles County, CA – One Injured After Pickup Crashed into Semi in Downey

One individual was injured and sent to the hospital following a collision between a pickup and semi-truck in Downey on early Thursday morning, February 02, 2023.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the two-vehicle crash occurred at about 12:45 a.m. on Highway 5’s southbound lanes at the 605 Freeway.

Responders from the CHP and Downey Fire Department arrived at the scene and learned that the pickup struck the back of a semi-truck for reasons still under investigation, trapping the pickup’s driver.

Additional responders from the Santa Fe Springs Fire, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Heavy Rescue arrived to extricate the person by cutting through and tearing the mangled roof off the totaled car.

The injured driver was then taken to a nearby hospital. No further details were released on their current condition and the other driver’s state.

CHP closed several lanes in the area, but one car managed to enter the site and nearly struck the personnel working in the wreckage. After being given a field sobriety test, the motorist was taken into custody.

Truck Accident Statistics

Due to the larger and heavier structure of semis, truck drivers are less likely to sustain life-threatening injuries in the case of an accident than the occupants of smaller cars. This makes large trucks much deadlier than any other vehicles when it comes to traffic-related accidents. Accidents involving these large trucks can put the lives of people involved in serious jeopardy.

According to a report by NHTSA, 4,965 persons died in heavy truck-related accidents in 2020 in the United States. This represented a 1% decline from the 5,032 in 2019. In 2020, 71% of those killed in large-truck crashes were passengers in other cars and not in the trucks themselves.

Large trucks made up, on average, 8.9% of all the vehicles involved in fatal accidents nationwide in 2020. With 90 fatalities, California had the largest number of nonoccupants in large-truck accidents. More than 50 unoccupied victims of heavy truck accidents occurred only in two other states, Texas and Florida.

What to Do After a Truck Accident

If you or a family member have been harmed in a truck accident, it is vital that you inform the authorities immediately. Don’t give the police your opinion or speculations. Just focus on the facts. Those who are unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of an accident may feel forced to apologize, even if they were not at fault. The insurance company may use this information against you in the event of a claim.

Get in touch with the police station closest to the crash site in order to request a copy of their investigation report. If you’d like us to submit a request on your behalf, please fill out the online form on our site. We can begin processing your claim as soon as we have this data. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to find out how strong your case is.

Truck Accident Lawyers in Los Angeles County

If you or a loved one were injured in a truck-related traffic collision in California, you have the legal right to seek compensation through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. If you would like to talk with one of our professional attorneys about your insurance claim and learn more about how we may be able to assist you in securing the maximum compensation possible, please do not hesitate to contact us right away.

Our trusted Los Angeles County truck accident lawyers at Arash Law, led by Arash Khorsandi, Esq., have extensive experience and accolades advocating for accident victims. Our clients have been awarded compensation totaling $750 million.

Call (888) 488-1391 now or click the “Do I Have a Case?” on our website to set up a free consultation with one of our attorneys.