A preliminary investigation by the CHP found that two motorcycles were traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on the freeway when one of them, a black Honda motorcycle, was hit by a semi-truck in the No.3 lane
Cajon Pass, CA – A motorcyclist was killed in a multi-vehicle collision involving a semi-truck on the I-15 Freeway in Cajon Pass on Friday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol reported.
At about 4:24 p.m. December 20, authorities responded to reports of a crash on the northbound freeway near Summit Avenue.
A preliminary investigation by the CHP found that two motorcycles were traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on the freeway when one of them, a black Honda motorcycle, was hit by a semi-truck in the No.3 lane.
The rider of the Honda was ran over by the big rig. A red Ford F-150 towing a trailer was also said to have been caught up in the accident, though it’s involvement was not specified.
CHP and emergency personnel responded to the scene and found the Honda rider down in the middle lanes. The rider was rushed to a hospital in critical condition and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Details on the victim’s identity were not immediately revealed.
At least three northbound lanes were shut down as emergency crews worked on the rider and the crash debris was cleared from the roadway.
The California Highway Patrol is still working to ascertain the cause of the wreck.
The Cajon Pass is widely recognized as one of California’s most dangerous and deadliest stretches of road, with a high rate of fatal and total collisions driven by its challenging terrain, variable weather, and high traffic volume. A 5-mile segment of Interstate 15 in the Pass was identified as the deadliest road in California, with 19 fatal accidents recorded between 2017 and 2019. Accidents in the area are often multi-vehicle collisions and big rig incidents, caused by factors including steep grades, sudden weather changes (fog, rain, snow), mechanical failures (especially brake failures due to the decline), speeding, and distracted driving. In some specific years, collision rates have surged; for example, total collisions increased significantly during a construction project period, from around 430 in 2011 to 738 in 2014, while fatal collisions varied between 5 and 7 annually in that same period. The emotional and psychological toll on drivers is a significant human cost of the pass’s traffic congestion and challenging conditions.
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