Big Rig Hits Parked Vehicle; 2 Girls Die
A mother and father watched Monday afternoon as a tractor-trailer traveling at highway speed struck a parked vehicle, killing two of their children and injuring seven other family members.
The California Highway Patrol said the family had been headed to the mountains on Interstate 15 in two vehicles for the holiday. The Ford Explorer and small pickup had pulled over so the driver of the pickup could secure a shifting load.
The big rig drifted off the roadway and struck the Explorer’s left rear bumper without slowing, said CHP Officer Dennis Welch. The impact propelled the vehicle between 75 and 100 feet, causing it to hit an embankment and flip over.
Killed were two girls, 8 and 13, who had been in the cargo area of the Explorer and were not wearing seat belts. A 5-year-old girl was critically hurt, and six other relatives were injured.
The rig’s driver--identified as Gary Straster, 49, of Phoenix--was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter.
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