Morning​ Causes Traffic Accidents
UPDATE: 11:30 CHP announced that State Route 38 has re-opened with caution of the black ice on the road.
​ 5 Vehicles 2 Collisions SR-38
Reported by San Bernardino
County Fire PIO Randal Ridges ___
Early Monday January 12th
at 6:08 A.M., a total of five vehicles were involved in two separate traffic
incidents today on State Route 38 in the Barton Flats area of the San
Bernardino National Forest. Five persons were transported to local
hospitals. Two patients with major injuries were extricated from their vehicles
using the jaws of life, and were
evacuated by medical airships. Three more injured patients were transported
by ground ambulances to local hospitals,
The first incident, reported at
approximately 6:00 A.M. involved a vehicle traveling westbound on SR-38.
The vehicle left the roadway and came to rest against a tree at (mile marker)
MM 34, just above the Heart Bar Equestrian Campground. The single
occupant was trapped inside his vehicle and had to be extricated by
firefighters. Units from Big Bear Fire conducted the rescue, and a unit
from San Bernardino County Fire closed the SR-38 to allow the airship to
land.
The second incident,was
reported at approximately 10 am, involved four vehicles, all traveling State
Route 38 westbound. The incident began with a vehicle leaving the road at
MM 30.5, near the South Fork Campground. It came to rest on the north
side of the highway. The two occupants, who were only slightly injured,
had just exited their car with their dog when a second vehicle left the road at
the same location. The second vehicle came to rest on top of the first vehicle with
its driver trapped inside. Within minutes the third and fourth vehicles
left the road, landing on the southern side of the highway SR-38.
Units from Big Bear Fire Department, again
conducted the extrication of the trapped driver, while a unit from San
Bernardino County Fire closed the State Route 38 to allow the airship to safely
land.
The extrication and rescue operations
involved units from San Bernardino County Fire, Bear Valley Fire Authority, the
U.S. Forest Service, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, the CHP,
and CalTrans. Air support was from Air Rescue 06, from San Bernardino
County Fire and Sheriff’s Department, and H-135, from Upland Fire.
The incidents remain under
investigation by the California Highway Patrol.