Los Angeles pileup injures at least 15
An accident involving 19 cars and a transport truck carrying at least 25 tons of sand closed the southbound 14 Freeway and two lanes on its northbound side in Los Angeles County today.
Traffic ground to a halt in the area, which is 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles County fire Capt. Mark Savage said the pileup, which possibly included two big-rig tricks, occurred around 9:45 a.m. on the southbound side of the freeway, midway between Antelope Valley and the Los Angeles Basin, reported the Pasadena Star News. There was no fire or hazardous material spills, but one person was briefly trapped inside one of the vehicles involved.
More from GlobalPost: Flying sheep cause pileup in Melbourne, Australia (VIDEO)
Savage also said 15 people were injured in the crash, two of them critically, according to the Los Angeles Times. About 50 firefighters were on the scene near Acton to transfer people to nearby hospitals.
The condition of the victims was not immediately known, reported the Associated Press. The cause of the accident, which occurred on a stretch of highway that runs through the San Gabriel Mountains and rises to an elevation topping 3,200 feet, was also still under investigation.
More from GlobalPost: South Africa: Driver pulls over to watch ducks, causes multi-car pileup
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?