Trucker Seriously Injured After Veering Off I-215 In Moreno Valley

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A trucker was seriously injured Wednesday when his 18-wheeler went off Interstate 215 in Moreno Valley and crashed into a pile of rocks.

The accident happened just before 8 a.m. on northbound I-215 and Box Springs Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The agency said the big rig veered out of control as it entered the Box Springs exit ramp and traveled down an embankment, coming to rest in the rock pile.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department engine crews went to the location, expecting to find the trucker, whose identity was not released, dead at the wheel, based on witnesses' statements.

But according to an agency spokeswoman, the man was alive and did not require extrication. He was taken to a regional trauma center for treatment of major injuries.

CHP officers closed the off-ramp for nearly two hours while emergency crews were at the scene and tow trucks used heavy wench lines to reel the tractor-trailer back onto the hard top for removal from the location.

Lanes were reopened shortly after 10 a.m.