OCEANSIDE — A big rig crashed and overturned on Interstate 5 in the far northern reaches of the San Diego area on Wednesday, leaving the truck driver seriously injured and tangling commuter traffic for miles through the morning rush hour and into midday.
The southbound tractor-trailer veered out of control, hit a guardrail and toppled over near the Aliso Creek Rest Area at about 4:30 a.m., spilling debris — including dozens of what appeared to be FedEx boxes — across the roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol. Two other vehicles then struck the disabled semi, the CHP said.
Paramedics airlifted the truck driver to a hospital for treatment of significant but non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of one of the cars that hit the big rig suffered minor injuries in the wreck, officials said.
The crash left three lanes blocked on the southbound side of the interstate and one lane blocked on the northbound side while crews worked through the morning to clear debris from the roadway and right the truck so it could be towed away.
All affected lanes reopened shortly before 12:30 p.m., the CHP reported.