News

Actions

Crews extricate driver from wrecked truck on Coronado Bridge

Posted at 5:07 AM, Oct 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-20 11:10:10-04
SAN DIEGO – Firefighters had to pull a man through the windshield of his overturned truck after he slammed it into a divider on the Coronado Bridge late Wednesday night. 
 
At about 11:10 p.m. a truck crashed into the toll plaza barriers on the west end of the bridge. Responding San Diego Fire-Rescue crews had to cut a mattress and box spring off the top of the truck to reach the man. He was pulled out through the windshield and transported to a nearby hospital. His condition was not confirmed. 
 
California Highway Patrol are investigating whether alcohol contributed to the crash. 
 
The westbound lanes going into Coronado were shut down for a short time. 
 
On Oct. 15, four people were killed when a truck went off a transition ramp to the east side of Coronado Bridge and smashed into a crowd of people in Chicano Park below. On Wednesday, the driver, 24-year-old Richard Anthony Sepolio, a Navy sailor, was arraigned from his hospital bed on four counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, one count of driving under the influence causing injury and one count of driving with measurable blood-alcohol causing injury. He faces nearly 24 years in prison if convicted. 
 
Community leaders have long called for more safety measures on the bridge, including higher guard rails to protect pedestrians and drivers and netting to reduce suicide attempts.