Two individuals are in stable condition after a horrifying crash that saw a pickup truck fly off an overpass and onto the 210 Freeway in Rialto. The incident, which occurred near Linden Avenue and Renaissance Parkway, around 6:45 p.m. on Dec. 5, was captured in a video that shows the white Ford F-150 becoming airborne and crashing into the eastbound 210 Freeway carpool lane. According to KTLA, the truck was then struck by a white GMC Acadia.
The drivers, a 36-year-old man from Compton in the Ford and a 51-year-old man from Glendora in the GMC, were both transported to a trauma center, both were listed in stable condition. As the California Highway Patrol confirmed to CBS LA, the pickup driver was the sole occupant when the vehicle left the off-ramp at approximately 6:30 p.m., before rolling into the westbound lanes and coming to a stop.
Police have stated that drugs or alcohol are not believed to be contributing factors in the crash, which shut down freeway traffic in both directions for several hours. Officers are still working to ascertain why the pickup veered off-road, with the Rialto Police Department urging anyone with additional information or dashcam footage to come forward. Lanes on the freeway were eventually reopened at 10:44 p.m.
Vanessa Alveal, the driver who captured the now-viral video of the truck in mid-flight, spoke of her trauma following the incident, "Passing by the bridge, I just saw the truck literally flying from the bridge and I hit the brake, because I was coming, like, 60 miles per hour," Alveal told CBS LA. "I just didn't know if it was a car or an airplane, because I just saw this white thing just flew in front of me." Details regarding the extent of injuries sustained by both drivers have not been extensively disclosed at this time.
The dramatic footage of the crash has garnered significant attention, showcasing the intense moments of an ordinary commute transformed into an exceptional emergency. As investigations by the California Highway Patrol and the Rialto Police Department continue, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictability of road safety and the potential for everyday routes to become sites of sudden peril.
