Truck Crash Destroys Mail, Closes Freeway

A big rig carrying mail to Sylmar crashed into a crane truck and caught fire Monday morning on the Golden State Freeway in the Newhall Pass, blocking rush-hour traffic for several hours and burning about 9,000 pieces of mail, CHP and postal officials said.

Oscar Mejia, 45, the driver of the big rig, was treated at Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital for minor injuries and released, California Highway Patrol Officer Michelle Esposito said.

Mejia had left a processing and distribution center in Santa Clarita at 8 a.m., carrying 126,000 pieces of mail for Sylmar and other nearby communities, U.S. Postal Inspector Judy Luther said.

The accident occurred about 8:15 a.m., when Mejia crashed into the back of a crane truck traveling uphill at 15 to 20 mph in the right southbound lane, Esposito said.

Ronald Hill, the crane truck driver, told Esposito he saw the big rig approaching in his rearview mirror at an estimated 50 mph.

“He said the big rig ran right into the back of the crane, then veered off to the left and almost immediately caught on fire,” she said. Hill was uninjured.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the scene at Gavin Canyon, south of Calgrove Boulevard, and put out the fire in 15 minutes, Fire Inspector Mark Tolbert said.

About 9,000 pieces of mail were determined to be undeliverable, and the rest will be salvaged and delivered today or Wednesday, Luther said. Letters of explanation for the lost mail will be sent to all addresses in the affected ZIP Codes.

The freeway was closed until 11:15 a.m., when two lanes were reopened. The other two lanes stayed shut for another two hours.

“Traffic just completely shut down,” Esposito said. “I’m sure it was the first day back to work for a lot of people after the holidays. I’m sure there were a lot of angry people.”