Golden State Freeway Beset by Snow and Ice

Rain, snow and ice combined to create numerous traffic problems and accidents this morning but no serious injuries in northern Los Angeles County, the California Highway Patrol said.

Overnight snow and ice slowed traffic on the Golden State Freeway near Gorman during the morning commute, and at least 12 accidents occurred between 7 and 9 a.m., said CHP Lt. Bob Caldwell. “We’ve had a pretty good snow--a couple inches,” said Caldwell, who was heading Operation Snowflake, in which CHP cruisers escort motorists on the freeway at safe speeds. “We haven’t had any serious accidents. Mostly spin-outs and people off to the side.”

Caldwell said nine California Department of Transportation trucks were plowing the snow and dropping sand on a 15-mile stretch of the freeway. He said four lanes remained open to traffic but the going was slow.

Earlier in the morning, rain caused accidents that forced the closure of the truck lanes of the Golden State and Foothill freeways near Sylmar for about four hours.

A northbound truck pulling a double set of trailers jackknifed in the rain and the rear trailer overturned about midnight near the interchange of the two freeways, CHP spokesman Ralph Elvira said. Two other big-rig trucks skidded off the freeway nearby a short time later.

The northbound and westbound truck lanes were closed in the area for about four hours while the trucks were cleared--an operation slowed because the overturned trailer was loaded with household chemicals that had to be unloaded before the trailer was righted.