Michael Kirby/Colfax RecordMICHAEL KIRBY/COLFAX RECORD Cal-Fire firefighters, from left, Danny Bierwagen, Chris Baldoni and Kieth Peterson remove a guard rail from an overturned truck Monday afternoon.
Two men were killed in a solo big rig accident Monday afternoon on westbound Interstate 80 near the Magra Road exit, closing westbound lanes until 8 p.m.
The identity of the two men, believed to be from Colorado, has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The driver, who was found trapped inside the truck’s cab, was reportedly going 70 mph as he passed another truck.
As he moved back into the slow lane, the driver apparently lost control and the big rig went over the embankment, said California Highway Patrol Officer Rich Ruiz.
Investigators were able to review video footage of the accident, which was recorded by a device on the Wal-Mart truck that was being passed.
Since the Wal-Mart truck driver was doing 55 mph, CHP officials estimate the big rig was going 70 mph, reports Ruiz.
“After passing the Wal-Mart truck and going back into the slow lane, the driver started losing control,” Ruiz said, adding the driver overcorrected as the trailer began to fishtail.
The truck tipped over on its right side and plowed into the guardrail dumping the load of recycled plastic down the embankment.
The driver died at the scene, however, the co-driver’s body wasn’t found until Tuesday morning, Ruiz said.
“The investigating officer was going over the log book, which had information indicating there may have been a co-driver,” Ruiz said.
Cal Fire firefighters and CHP officers returned to the scene and found the co-driver’s body buried under the debris.
When the truck overturned, the cab was torn off and was buried beneath the contents of the trailer, he explained. The second driver was apparently in the sleeping berth of the truck when it crashed.
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