LONG BEACH, Calif. — Two people in a pickup truck survived a crash on the 710 Freeway Thursday afternoon despite the fact that a semi-truck and its container tipped onto their vehicle, nearly crushing it, according to a report from the Long Beach Post News.
The media outlet reported that the accident occurred around 2 p.m. Thursday on the northbound 710 just past Del Amo Boulevard when the two vehicles collided because one was executing a lane change, according toCalifornia Highway Patrol Officer Bobby Eurin.
Long Beach Fire Department crews responded found two people trapped inside a Chevrolet pickup that was pinned under the big rig, said Fire Capt. Jake Heflin.
Firefighters quickly freed one of the people and then called in a heavy wrecker tow truck that helped with the second rescue, which required firefighters to cut into the pickup truck with the Jaws of Life, Heflin said.
The pickup driver and passenger were taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, Eurin said.
The pickup truck ended up facing the wrong way with its roof partially crushed on the passenger side by the semi-truck’s cabin, according to the media report.
The semi-truck container smashed through the windshield but came to rest just above the steering wheel.
Investigators were still working to determine the full circumstances leading up to the crash.
The crash initially left all lanes blocked for roughly a half hour, according to a CHP incident log. The far left lane reopened around 2:35 p.m. Thursday. All lanes were reopened by 6 p.m. Thursday, Eurin said.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
