ACAMPO, Calif. — A mechanic died Tuesday morning after a big rig driver who fell asleep behind the wheel slammed into him on Interstate 5 in San Joaquin County, officials said.
According to the California Highway Patrol Stockton division, the mechanic was on the right-hand shoulder of the freeway at Peltier Road, underneath a disabled big rig he was trying to fix.
At the same time, CHP said the driver of a Volvo big rig carrying cardboard was driving on northbound I-5 in the No. 2 lane, going around 50 mph when he started falling asleep. His big rig drifted to the shoulder and crashed right into the disabled big rig.
The impact caused the undercarriage to hit the mechanic while he was still underneath, CHP said. Medical personnel declared the mechanic dead at the scene.
CHP traffic logs show the crash was reported shortly before 6:20 a.m. Crews closed the No. 2 lane for hours while they investigated. Details on the identities of the mechanic and driver were not released. It is also not known if drugs or DUI may have also been a factor.