Caltrans, CHP Say Construction Zones Not Cause Of Sacramento Highway Crashes
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A six-car pileup on Highway 50 Monday morning could have been a lot worse. No one was seriously injured, but the California Highway Patrol is asking drivers to slow down, especially in construction zones.
Officer Jim Young with the California Highway Patrol says speed was a factor in Monday's crash.
"People have to understand, due to all the construction going on with the Fix 50 project, the speed limit is 55," Officer Young said.
The Fix 50 construction project runs from Watt Avenue to Stockton Boulevard, right where Monday morning's pileup occurred.
We showed Officer Young the crash video taken by a driver and asked what he thought went wrong.
"The ambulance might have been following too close to the vehicle that was in front. That's why it rear-ended the vehicle," he said. "I'd also have a little concern of the pickup truck going over to the right. It looks like an abrupt lane change to the right at a speed that may or may not have been higher than 55."
We reached out to Caltrans to ask if construction plays a role in crashes, and the agency only said there is a lot of road work underway.
"We're out there, we're working hard, we're getting at it," said Caltrans spokesperson Angela DaPrato.
Major construction projects in the Sacramento area include parts of Interstate 5, Highway 50, and Highway 99. Highway 99 will be shutting down completely for four days starting Friday.
But DaPrato says these construction projects are not what's causing the accidents.
The Fix 50 project could continue through 2025. Throughout the duration of the project, the speed limit on the stretch of highway is 55 miles per hour, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.