Man killed, woman injured as backhoe lands on vehicle in Oro Grande
A man was killed and a woman suffered major injuries when excavating equipment landed on their vehicle near a railroad bridge on Old Route 66 in Oro Grande.
The collision was reported at 7:18 a.m. Tuesday on National Trails Highway and near the Cal Portland Cement Plant, according to the California Highway Patrol. Officers believe that a semi-truck with a backhoe on a trailer struck the railroad bridge, causing the backhoe to fall off and land on a nearby Ford.
After the collision, the partially crushed vehicle continued south on National Trails Highway until it crashed into a tree near the bridge, CHP said.
High Desert resident Artie DeVres said that she thought the wreck was “just another cement truck striking the bridge, which happens quite often.”
“I went a little further, and I saw a mangled car and I knew something terrible had happened,” DeVres said
The clearance under the bridge is 13 feet, 11 inches.
Victorville firefighters responded to the collision and discovered that a man in the vehicle was dead. The woman in the Ford was rushed to a hospital with serious injuries. Her condition is unknown.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner’s Office has not disclosed the identity of the man who died.
County personnel were requested to inspect the roadway for gouges. BNSF officials were also asked to check the bridge for damages.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Man killed, woman injured as backhoe lands on vehicle in Oro Grande
