Cement Truck Loses Brakes, Hits 12 Cars
A cement truck that lost its brakes while coming off the Palos Verdes Peninsula hit 12 cars Tuesday before coming to a stop on the Pacific Coast Highway, authorities said.
No one was killed in the 9:50 a.m. accident, but at least seven people were taken to hospitals, said Torrance Police Sgt. Richard Andersen. All are expected to fully recover, police said.
“Two cars were hit really hard,” Andersen said. “It’s amazing that there wasn’t a fatality.”
The truck, operated by Southdown Inc., was heading down sloping Hawthorne Boulevard when it apparently lost its brakes and began swerving to avoid cars, Andersen said.
Investigators from the Torrance Police Department and the California Highway Patrol who examined both the truck and the driver said the accident was caused by a mechanical failure.
Ambulances, California Highway Patrol officers and a phalanx of tow trucks responded to the accident. Tow trucks continued to haul away smashed cars throughout the morning.
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