Driver Arrested After Big Rig Hits 4 Vehicles, Crashes
A big-rig driver hauling a load of cars deliberately smashed into several vehicles and led officers on a high-speed chase along Interstate 10 before crashing early Sunday into a guardrail, according to the California Highway Patrol.
John Alan Oden, 23, of Ardmore, Ala., was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, drunk driving and other charges, the CHP said.
No one was seriously hurt, the CHP said.
Officers gave this account:
Heading west on I-10 near Cherry Avenue at 3:09 a.m. Sunday, the big rig crashed into a 1988 Toyota Tercel driven by a 29-year-old Los Angeles woman. The tractor-trailer didn’t stop. The woman, using her cellular phone, called police.
As the rig kept rolling, officers gave chase. Speeds reached 95 mph.
Meanwhile, the rig hit three westbound vehicles: a 1995 Chevrolet Camaro, a 1989 Honda Accord and, finally, a 1985 Toyota pickup.
The chase ended when the big rig smacked into a concrete guardrail near Monte Vista Avenue.
Three lanes of traffic were blocked for nearly six hours.
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