Injuries Reported in Multi-Vehicle Accident on I-15 in Cajon Pass, CA
San Bernardino County, CA -- April 24, 2022, serious injuries were reported after a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass area of San Bernardino County.
Authorities say the incident happened around 11:00 p.m. on I-15 between Cleghorn Road and Route 138. The cause of the wreck isn't clear yet but reports indicate it involved a commercial semi-truck, an RV, and a number of other vehicles. One report suggests one of the vehicles spilled septic material across the roadway after the wreck.
Investigators received reports that a woman was ejected from her vehicle and was lying in the roadway prior to their arrival. They later said that two people were transported from the scene to an area trauma center. One victim had major injuries and the other's were minor.
No further information is currently available.
Commentary on Multi-Vehicle Accident on I-15 in Cajon Pass
Right now reports say only that several vehicles, at least one of them commercial, crashed on the highway and people were hurt as a result. Obviously that's missing a lot of important details and context, so it's important that nobody tries to fill in the blanks for themselves as the investigation continues.
To really figure out the chain of events here many factors still have to be evaluated. Among those might be various driver errors like distraction or speeding, but other issues include problems or defects in the vehicles, road conditions and design, visibility, lighting and sightlines, bad weather, any other traffic in the area, possible impairment, and many other elements that could have influenced or outright caused the wreck. Considering those details is always an important part of an investigation.
As more dots get connected I want to repeat that making premature assumptions is unwise. I've seen too many people rush to judgment after reading an early news release only to completely change their minds after more details came to light. The same thing could happen here, though it's also possible a police investigation won't clarify things as much as one might hope.
After a major accident--particularly one involving a commercial vehicle--I suggest conducting an independent investigation to make sure the whole story is learned. Whatever experienced professionals turn up, those affected by the wreck deserve to know that every effort was made to find all the available answers. Any further action would depend largely on what those answers turn out to be.
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