A semi-truck loaded with a large shipment of televisions overturned on southbound Interstate 5 near Friday morning, landing on railroad tracks and causing delays in Amtrak train service for Southern California commuters and major traffic on the busy freeway.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said the driver of the semi-truck fell asleep at the wheel just after 12:30 a.m. on I-5 just south of the San Onofre truck inspection facility. Nodding off, the driver made an unsafe move at the wheel and the semi drifted down an embankment before it overturned and landed on nearby railroad tracks.
No one was injured in the collision, and no other vehicles were involved, investigators said.
Transit officials shut down Amtrak service in the area while crews worked to get the semi off the tracks. Because the truck was filled with televisions, CHP said special equipment was needed to properly move the vehicle off the tracks and tow it.
The CHP issued a SigAlert along southbound I-5 at Basilone Road around 10:15 a.m., saying traffic was very slow all the way from Highway 74. At 11:50 a.m., traffic along the I-5 was at a standstill, backed up for miles and miles due to the accident and subsequent clean-up process. Get traffic updates here.
It was unclear, as of 10:30 a.m., how long the Amtrak service delays in the area would last.
