Stalled Big Rig Blocks Lanes of Highway
A wide-load tractor-trailer became disabled across both lanes of California 118 Tuesday after weigh station authorities ordered the driver to make a U-turn and find an alternate route to Ventura.
The incident occurred at 2:19 p.m. near the Hitch Boulevard exit outside the California Highway Patrol’s truck scales in west Moorpark, said CHP Officer Dave Cockrill.
Two rear tires on the trailer went flat as the driver was making the U-turn from westbound to eastbound lanes, officers said. The truck’s open trailer, which had a large crane on it, came to rest across both lanes of the two-lane road.
The CHP had told the driver to find an alternate route because his trailer load was wider than the maximum allowable width of 102 inches, witnesses said.
The road was closed for almost two hours as a tow truck driver from Simi Valley loaded the disabled rig onto a massive flatbed.
Westbound traffic was detoured onto Gabbert Road and eastbound traffic exited at Somis Road, officers said.
The disabled rig is owned by General Engineering Contractors in Los Angeles, witnesses said.
The driver, who was not identified, was not cited.
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