Semi driver airlifted after vehicle rollover
A driver was airlifted for treatment after the tanker he was driving overturned and landed on its roof Thursday afternoon on North Imperial Highway near Imperial Place.
The driver, whose identification was undisclosed, was treated at the scene, then flown for further treatment to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he remains hospitalized.
The incident occurred around 2:06 p.m., when Border Patrol agents assigned near the highway witnessed the semi, a 2016 Kenworth tractor, lose control and roll over off the highway.
It was determined that the semi overturned while maneuvering the curve on the highway due it traveling at an unsafe speed, a California Highway Patrol sergeant on Friday explained. The semi did not catch fire.
Border Patrol agents arrived on scene and saw the driver was pinned underneath the truck, a Customs and Border Protection news release issued Friday stated. The driver was the only occupant of the semi.
Agents requested Emergency Medical Services and assistance from CHP via El Centro Sector dispatch.
A Border Search Trauma and Rescue agent, a Bureau of Land Management agent and a supervisory Border Patrol agent certified as an Emergency Medical Technician arrived on scene and were able to remove the door from the truck and extract the driver.
Agents, along with American Medical Response personnel, prepared the man for air medical service and he was transported via Reach Air Medical to the nearest trauma center.
The semi was towing a tanker trailer filled with 5,000 pounds of propane.
Nothing leaked from the tank, authorities said, as the tank maintained its integrity and was not compromised. No hazmat evacuation or precautions were necessary; however, while the semi was being recovered from the scene, about 30 gallons of diesel fuel leaked out of its fuel tank, which required a hazardous waste crew to clean up.
It took approximately 12 hours to clear the semi and the trailer from the scene. During that time the road was closed between Smoketree and Third avenues.
Four homes were in proximity to the collision. One resident told Imperial Valley Press he believed it was just a matter of time before another accident occurred in this area of the highway.
He mentioned that, previously, a motorcyclist was airlifted after he lost control and crashed while maneuvering the turn.
The resident, who witnessed Thursday’s collision, said the section of the highway where the accident occurred has a 45 mile per hour speed limit.
“The curve wasn’t banked enough for the speed that he was going,” the resident said of the truck driver. “If that truck would’ve exploded, several residents would’ve been either killed or injured.”
The resident explained that, although signage is posted, it can be difficult to tell there is a turn in the road when traveling down the highway.
“If you’re not prepared and you just think the desert road goes straight, it just happens in a flash,” he said.
The resident said he’s also witnessed plenty of travelers, despite the 45mph posted speed limit, go down the road at 60 miles per hour or faster.
“The speed limit is way too high,” the resident said. “The outsiders don’t recognize the speed limit. They just go their own speed.”
The resident explained that he’s attended about three county transportation department meetings in an effort to get a stop sign put in the area.
“It’s a dangerous road,” he said. “Something bad is going to happen again. We’ve had our cats run over by cars. Now we’ve got a propane truck. We could’ve been killed here, too.”