![Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photos]](https://mountainenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8173mediagood-324x216.jpg)
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Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photos]![Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photo]](https://mountainenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8178mediagood-324x216.jpg)
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Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photo]![Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photo]](https://mountainenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8182mediagood-324x216.jpg)
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Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photo]![Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photo]](https://mountainenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/IMG_8267mediagood-324x216.jpg)
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Multiple big rigs crashed early Thursday morning between 2 and 3 a.m. on the Interstate 5 between Lebec and the Grapevine exit. All the vehicles and their contents were destroyed. One driver was transported by ambulance. [Jeff Zimmerman photo]
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At 8:30 a.m. this notice was on the Pine Mountain Post Office door.
LEBEC, CA (Thursday, Oct. 20 at 12:35 p.m.)—All southbound lanes have opened, according to CHP.
LEBEC, CA (Thursday, Oct. 20 at 10:30 a.m.)—See photo at right (#5) for notice on Pine Mountain Village post office door. Postal Service may have been delayed by the early morning crashes. Traffic was backed up from the 99-I-5 split to the base of the Grapevine. We are seeking verification. CHP verifies that the southbound lane was the one affected.
LEBEC, CA (Thursday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m.)—CHP Incident reports indicate a single multi-rig crash at about 2:15 a.m. Clean up and investigation continues.
LEBEC, CA (Thursday, Oct. 20 at 7:45 a.m.)—Caltrans and the California Highway Patrol are still cleaning up and investigating two separate accidents, reports photographer Jeff Zimmerman, that occurred about 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Thursday morning on the Interstate 5 in Lebec and near the Grapevine exit. Several big rigs became entangled and burst into flames, closing Interstate 5, he reports.
The first accident involved two large semi trucks with one injury and fire on the southbound Interstate 5 freeway near Lebec, Zimmerman, of Neenach reported.. Los Angeles County and Kern County firefighters worked this incident for over two hours. One patient was transported by ambulance for injuries.
A second accident just half an hour after the first was also reported to Kern County Fire on the southbound 5 near Grapevine exit. Three semi trucks collided for unknown reasons. They also burst into flame. All drivers escaped. The trucks were completely destroyed. Debris was strewn across two lanes, blocking traffic back to Arvin, Zimmerman reports. The driving conditions were clear, with no rain or fog.
This is part of the October 14, 2016 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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