At least 3 dead in massive Southern California freeway pileup; semi-truck driver arrested for DUI

A gruesome crash involving several tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles on the 10 Freeway in Ontario, California, left at least three people dead and two hospitalized Tuesday afternoon.

The crash happened shortly after 1 p.m. in the westbound lanes of the freeway near the junction with Interstate 15, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A man who witnessed the pileup told KTLA 5’s Jillian Smukler that a big rig with a red cab went barreling into bumper-to-bumper traffic, apparently without braking.

“I was standing outside talking to a friend of mine in the parking lot facing the freeway and the red truck was traveling at a high rate of speed when everyone else was stopped,” Jason Calmelat said. “He didn’t try to slow down. He just went full force into the back of another truck, crushing two other cars.”

Calmelat said the collision created a huge fireball.

CHP officials said the big rig driver who didn’t brake was later arrested for driving under the influence of drugs. He was only identified as a 21-year-old man.

Sky5 footage from the scene showed four tractor-trailers and four other vehicles were involved in the pileup, including one vehicle that was too badly charred and mangled to determine the make or model.

In addition to three people who died, two other people were hospitalized with serious injuries, authorities said.

The collision forced the closure of all westbound lanes of the 10 Freeway, except for FasTrak, causing extensive backups throughout the Inland Empire.

This is a developing story. Stay with KTLA 5 News for updates.