Driver of tractor-trailer runs into back of truck on I-8 near Alpine, is killed

The driver of a semi tractor-trailer truck died Monday night after he drove into the back of a truck that was pulling a car carrier on Interstate 8 near Alpine, officials said.

The crash sparked a fire that sent flames over the Tavern Road overcrossing, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jared Grieshaber. The collision occurred just after 6:30 p.m. in the slow lane of east I-8, just west of Tavern Road.

The first truck, a Peterbilt with a car carrier combination, was traveling around 40 to 50 p.m when the second truck, a Kenworth with an enclosed trailer that was empty, crashed into it, Grieshaber said.

The reasons for the collision remain under investigation, he said. It was not known if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.

The 32-year-old driver of the Peterbilt, a resident of Miami, was uninjured. The driver who died has not been identified.

The eastbound lanes of Interstate 8 were closed for several hours and reopened shortly after 1 a.m. Grieshaber said Caltrans workers inspected the fire-damaged overcrossing and determined it was safe.