A deadly big rig accident had traffic backed up for miles Monday evening along Highway 99. A south-bound semi crashed through the center divider and plunged into the canal below. The driver was able to escape, but a passenger died at the scene.
It was slow-going in both directions as rescue crews from the Sheriff's Department and Kern County Fire Department worked to recover the body.
Just after 2:30 Monday afternoon, the big rig went flying through the center divider near the Olive Drive and 99 interchange, landing cab first in the Beardsley canal.
Frank Lara watched the accident unfold. "As my wife was getting off the freeway, she said, 'look at the truck.' It swerved and it just went over the cliff or embankment. As soon as it did, I told her to call 911. I don't think any car hit it. I mean it's just a trip, the way it was, the way it landed, the way it crashed and all the noises," said Lara.
There wasn't much left of the big rig's cab, while the trailer dangled from the overpass.
"The semi truck actually hit the bank and collapsed part of the bank and actually destroyed the whole front of the truck," said Steve Pendergrass from the Kern County Fire Department. "After the vehicle hit the side, you had that collapse the vehicle in to the bank itself, but then the entire load came in on top of the driver and passenger."
Fire crews worked to stabilize the tractor trailer before dragging it back across the canal where they could safely work.
"We're attempting to find a way to secure the trailer so that we can put a dive team and a raft team into the water to attempt to conduct a recovery." said Ray Pruitt from the Kern County Sheriffs Department.
A search and rescue diver went into the water to attach a cable that pulled the truck back up on to the embankment where they were able to finish the recovery of the passenger's body.
We are told fuel and oil from the truck made it into Beardsley canal but officials from Kern County Environmental Health said all the pumps and water gates down stream of the accident were closed to prevent any drinking water contamination.
It was slow-going in both directions as rescue crews from the Sheriff's Department and Kern County Fire Department worked to recover the body.
Just after 2:30 Monday afternoon, the big rig went flying through the center divider near the Olive Drive and 99 interchange, landing cab first in the Beardsley canal.
Frank Lara watched the accident unfold. "As my wife was getting off the freeway, she said, 'look at the truck.' It swerved and it just went over the cliff or embankment. As soon as it did, I told her to call 911. I don't think any car hit it. I mean it's just a trip, the way it was, the way it landed, the way it crashed and all the noises," said Lara.
There wasn't much left of the big rig's cab, while the trailer dangled from the overpass.
"The semi truck actually hit the bank and collapsed part of the bank and actually destroyed the whole front of the truck," said Steve Pendergrass from the Kern County Fire Department. "After the vehicle hit the side, you had that collapse the vehicle in to the bank itself, but then the entire load came in on top of the driver and passenger."
Fire crews worked to stabilize the tractor trailer before dragging it back across the canal where they could safely work.
"We're attempting to find a way to secure the trailer so that we can put a dive team and a raft team into the water to attempt to conduct a recovery." said Ray Pruitt from the Kern County Sheriffs Department.
A search and rescue diver went into the water to attach a cable that pulled the truck back up on to the embankment where they were able to finish the recovery of the passenger's body.
We are told fuel and oil from the truck made it into Beardsley canal but officials from Kern County Environmental Health said all the pumps and water gates down stream of the accident were closed to prevent any drinking water contamination.