67-year-old man from LA identified in deadly big rig crash on I-10
A 67-year-old man from Los Angeles was killed and two people were seriously injured in a crash involving two big rigs on westbound I-10 Thursday morning, and the California Highway Patrol shut down the westbound lanes due to 100 to 150 gallons of diesel fuel spilling onto the roadway.
The Riverside County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Fred Cormia on Friday morning.
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According to CHP Office Mike Radford, one westbound lane was still closed to traffic as of 1:30 p.m.
The crash was reported at about 7:20 a.m. on the westbound side of the 10 freeway, at Chiriaco Road, east of the Coachella Valley. A 38-year-old woman from Lubbock, Texas was driving an International Big Rig and came to a stop on the right shoulder of the freeway, west of Summit Road.
Cormia was driving a Freightliner on westbound I-10 and traveled to the right and off the roadway, striking the rear of the International Big Rig, Officer Radford said in a news release.
After the collision the Freightliner continued traveling into the open desert, north of the roadway. Cormia was pronounced dead at the scene. There was a male passenger in the sleeper of the Freightliner who sustained moderate injuries and was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.
The woman driving the International Big Rig sustained moderated injuries in the collision and was also taken to Desert Regional Medical Center. A male passenger was in the sleeper of the International Big Rig as well but he wasn’t injured in the crash, according to Officer Radford.
The collision is still under investigation. I-10 westbound had one lane closed in the area throughout the day Thursday.
The California Highway Patrol is helped control traffic and Riverside County Environmental Health is assisted with the fuel cleanup.
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