On May 19th, in Carmel, California, a semi truck driver lost control of his vehicle and plummeted 300 feet down a cliff toward the ocean.
According to witnesses, at around 9:30 p.m., the truck was seen swerving in and out of its lane, then rode against a guard rail for about 200 feet until the guardrail ran out. The truck was then forced off the side of Highway 1 near Big Sur, and it crashed down the cliff.
The big rig was loaded with 30,000 pounds of strawberries and was headed to San Bernardino. None of the truck of fuel ended up in the ocean.
According to KSBW, the three brothers inside the big rig survived. One was airlifted and suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung. The driver and the other brother were driven to Natividad Medical Center for treatment of their injuries.
The 59-year-old driver has been identified as Robert Lane.
He has since been arrested and charged with driving under the influence of prescription medication. A bottle of pills was found in his possession.
Although it is not illegal for semi trucks to travel on Highway 1 through Big Sur, it is not recommended.
California Highway Patrol spokesman Oscar Loza stated:
“That is a very unusual route for them to take.”
The big rig was towed from the scene.
Because of the rough terrain, officials were unable to recover the truck until Friday morning. At around 8:30 a.m, crews spent about 14 hours retrieving the big rig from the cliff.