Dump truck tips, spills
LA CRESCENTA — A dump truck overturned Tuesday morning on Foothill Boulevard and spilled about four tons of dirt and rocks excavated from a local debris basin, police said.
A Los Angeles County firefighter driving the truck sustained an cut on his forearm but wasn’t seriously injured, Glendale Police Officer Jay Katska said.
But the Fire Department dump truck was destroyed when it overturned on Foothill Boulevard and Boston Avenue.
Glendale police investigators were looking into the crash, but Katska said “there may be a brake adjustment issue with the truck.”
The truck had just picked up three to four tons of earth excavated from a foothill-area debris basin and was headed to a dump site outside the city, Katska said.
The truck made its way down Boston Avenue to Foothill Boulevard at about 15 mph and was going to turn when its load shifted and caused the rig to topple over, he said.
No other vehicles were damaged or caught in the debris.
The load was within the truck’s weight limit, Katska added.
County fire officials at the scene declined to comment on the crash.
Tuesday’s crash wasn’t the first involving a dump truck since crews began hauling rocks and mud from foothill-area debris basins to prevent overflow during storms.
Residents have expressed concerns about the dump trucks’ effect on traffic and safety, saying they fear the rigs don’t have properly maintained braking systems.
More than six months ago, a privately owned dump truck crashed into an unoccupied home on Maryland Avenue, Katska said.
The driver parked the truck and trailer on south Maryland, near Burritt Way, and had set the braking device on the trailer, but not the truck, he said.
When the driver detached the truck from the trailer, the rig was sent into the home, Katska said.
No injuries were reported in that crash, he added.
Police officers trained on commercial vehicles have been conducting regular checks of the dump trucks, their braking systems and operating equipment.
“We are always on top of it,” he said.
Residents who have concerns about any trucks may call the Glendale Police Department Traffic Bureau at (818) 548-3131.