LOCAL : Accident Shuts Ventura Freeway

All lanes of the Ventura Freeway in Woodland Hills were closed for nearly an hour this morning when a garbage truck overturned, pinning its driver in the wreckage, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The westbound truck overturned across three lanes about 10:30 a.m., officers said. The truck apparently hit a center guardrail and then veered back into traffic lanes where it overturned. The accident is still under investigation.

The eastbound lanes were briefly closed by debris and to make room for rescue vehicles, the CHP said. The 30-year-old truck driver, whose name was unavailable, was pinned in the cab of the truck, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Joe Morrow.

Firefighters freed the man about 11:15 a.m. and he was taken by helicopter to Northridge Hospital Medical Center where he was in critical condition with massive chest injuries, officials said. The westbound lanes remained closed about an hour while the truck was removed.