High Winds Topple Big Rigs, Divert Ontario-Bound Flights To LAX
FONTANA (CBSLA) — Windy conditions have toppled at least half a dozen big rig trucks on Inland Empire freeways.
Not one, not two, but six big rigs were reported overturned or jackknifed Tuesday morning as wind howled along the 210, 15 and 10 freeways from Fontana to Jurupa Valley to Pomona.
One of the big rigs that was blown onto its side at about 10 a.m. Monday was left on the dirt shoulder of the 15 Freeway overnight, to be recovered once the winds die down. One of the trucks was carrying 5,000 pounds of furniture. Yet another was tipped over in a particularly unfortunate spot – on a transition road from the southbound 15 to the eastbound 60 Freeway that left it nearly hanging over the bridge's guardrail.
Most of the drivers reported to the California Highway Patrol that the wind had tipped over or overturned their big rigs.
No injuries were reported from these big rig crashes.
Lenny Mendonca, the chief economic and business advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, tweeted photos of the haze over the Inland Empire and said his flight was diverted from Ontario Airport to LAX because of the windy conditions. Mendonca's flight was one of three that had to be diverted from Ontario International Airport because of the wind.
Choppy flight got diverted from @flyONT to @flyLAXairport because of high winds. Thank you for putting safety first @SouthwestAir pic.twitter.com/zd8Cmoi1HF
— Lenny Mendonca (@Lenny_Mendonca) February 11, 2020
A high wind warning said gusts of 40 to 60 mph, with some as strong as 75 mph, were predicted throughout the Inland Empire and inland Orange County area overnight.
Trucks weren't the only vehicles to suffer from the wind. In Yucaipa, a big tree was blown over and crushed a car below, but no one was injured.