Firefighters deploy heavy hydraulic equipment during intense two-hour extraction along Pacific Coast Highway.
By Carlos Reyes
Firefighters deployed heavy hydraulic extrication tools Thursday to rescue a driver trapped inside a crushed work truck following a high-impact crash along Pacific Coast Highway, according to an LAFD alert.
Emergency crews responded around 11:31 a.m. to the 14800 block of West Pacific Coast Highway after the vehicle slammed into a one-story commercial building. The collision left the driver pinned in the cab under high temperatures for nearly two hours as specialized Urban Search and Rescue units worked to dismantle the damaged structure around the vehicle.
Rescuers successfully freed the driver, who was the truck’s sole occupant. Paramedics placed the driver into an ambulance for transport to a local hospital. Authorities have not released the driver’s identity or current medical condition.
No occupants were inside the commercial structure at the time of the crash, and no additional injuries were reported.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the collision. Officials from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, the Department of Transportation, and the Los Angeles Police Department were dispatched to assess the building’s structural integrity and manage surrounding traffic.
