Wrong-way driver dies in head-on crash with big rig on 15 Freeway
A motorist who died in a head-on crash while driving the wrong way on the northbound 15 Freeway in Rancho Cucamonga early Wednesday may have been suicidal, officials said.
The crash occurred shortly after 5:18 a.m., when the driver entered the freeway south of Baseline Road heading in the wrong direction, said California Highway Patrol Officer Marcelo Llerena.
The Toyota Prius crashed head-on with a semi-truck, which then caught fire. The wrong-way driver, who has not been identified, was killed. The status of the truck driver could not immediately be confirmed.
The fiery crash forced the closure of three lanes of the northbound 15 Freeway. Based on witness accounts, it was being investigated as a possible suicide, Llerena said.
The lane closures were expected to last until at least 9 a.m., he added.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the crash.
For breaking news in Los Angeles and throughout California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA. She can be reached at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
