Fatal crash south of Nevada-California state line closes some northbound lanes of I-15
A boy died after a Wednesday morning crash about 20 miles south of the Nevada-California state line.
The crash happened just before 4 a.m. north of Cima Road and involved two semitrailers, according to the California Highway Patrol.
One of the semitrailers broke down on the right shoulder of the road and was waiting for a tow truck when another semitrailer slammed into the back of it, CHP spokesman Ryan Camara said.
The broken-down truck had a 29-year-old male occupant and a 24-year-old female occupant. They were taken to University Medical Center by ambulance with minor to moderate injuries, Camara said.
He said the truck that rear-ended the other was carrying 55-gallon drums of industrial cleaning supplies, and some of those drums were leaking, causing the initial closure of north and southbound lanes.
It was driven by a 28-year-old man and had a male juvenile passenger. The driver was airlifted to the medical center, and the boy died at the scene.
The San Bernardino, California, sheriff’s office coroner identified the boy as 7-year-old Donte Spencer Jr. of Las Vegas. His cause and manner of death have not been released.
The driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, Camara said.
Hazardous material personnel deemed the scene safe, according to the CHP. All southbound lanes opened just before 8 a.m., and one of the three northbound lanes opened just before 10 a.m. Two of the northbound lanes were still not open by press time.
Review-Journal reporter Christian Bertolaccini contributed to this story. Contact Lawren Linehan at llinehan@reviewjournal.com or at 702-383-0381. Find @lawrenlinehan on Twitter.
