Freeway Sign Collapses in San Diego

[Jill1228]

Thank G-d no one was killed
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/freeway_sign_collapse

Freeway Sign Collapses in San Diego Mon Jan 23, 9:58 PM ET



An 18-ton sign over a freeway fell on a car after a recycling truck slammed into it during the morning rush hour Monday, officials said. One person was injured.

The truck had its hydraulic boom raised, holding up a recycling bin, when it struck the sign, which was 20 feet above the pavement and spanned northbound Interstate 805, state Transportation Department spokesman Steve Saville said.

A 39-year-old man in the car was freed by rescue crews and taken to a hospital with a broken wrist. The 67-year-old driver of the truck was not injured.

The driver didn't know the boom was extended, and it can be operated only from the outside of the truck, the California Highway Patrol said. Officials are investigating the possibility of mechanical failure.

The northbound lanes were closed north of downtown San Diego, and traffic backed up for miles.

[TristanDSP]

THAT'S what brought the 805 North to a dead halt. I was on the 805 South when the North was seriously a parking lot. I practically flew down the southbound lane to the Otay Mesa Kaiser center, and took the 94 back.

Thank God nobody was seriously hurt, I thought an accident like that had to be BAD. Good thing I have XM or I would have taken the 805 North back not knowing if it had been clear or not.

[Steeltrap]

^^
I had already been back in OC when this happened. But I took a look at the picture, and that's a stretch of 805 that I'm on every Monday on my way back. I'm also glad that nobody was killed.

[KSigkid]

Absolutely crazy - those signs are all over the place across the country, you wouldn't even think of one falling. That's amazing (and really good) that no one was killed.