UPDATE: Bee in Cab Sends Semi Off I-15; Traffic Woes for Miles

UPDATE: 6:25 p.m. Thursday:

Crews were still working to tow a big rig that went pummeling off Interstate 15 in Murrieta Thursday, jumping the center divide and crossing in the path of oncoming traffic.

As of 6:20 p.m., crews estimated the tow would be complete by 6:30 p.m. Clearing the scene of the wreck involved placing absorbent over spilled fuel, a California Highway Patrol officer told Patch.

All lanes of traffic were open but northbound lanes were moving slow still between Temecula and the crash site just north of California Oaks Road.

PREVIOUS POST 5:15 p.m. Thursday:

A bee caused the driver of an 18-wheeler to veer off Interstate 15 Thursday, crossing oncoming traffic and landing in the parking lot of Calvary Chapel Murrieta.

As of 4:42 p.m., California Highway Patrol said the fuel tank on the truck was ruptured, which was noticed as tow crews were attempting to remove the truck from the campus.

Murrieta fire officials were headed to the scene.

Traffic as a result of the crash was backed up on both the northbound and southbound sides of the freeway, stretching from San Diego County into Wildomar, CHP said. All lanes were open, but traffic was moving slow.

Oleg Vavilov was driving the semi heading southbound at about 3 p.m. near California Oaks Road when he said a bee entered his cab.

"I began to fight with it and I lost my traction," Vavilov told Patch.

His sudden movements sent him over the center divider into the path of northbound traffic.

"The minute I saw approaching cars, to escape collision, I came here," he said. "In the moment I didn't think about (my) safety, I just didn't want to hit other cars."

According to CHP website reports, at least two cars that were heading northbound sustained damage.

One northbound driver braked when she saw the truck coming, causing the car behind her to crash into her, according to reports on the CHP website.

CHP Officer J. Hackett responded to the crash and said it was still under investigation. He confirmed he'd talked to Vavilov, who told him the bee caused the crash.

"...It was apparently a distraction to him—if that's what he says happened that resulted in him not operating his vehicle properly and losing control," Hackett said, noting it was "extremely lucky" no one was hit head-on.

"You can see on the roadway some pretty significant skid marks from vehicles avoiding him head-on," the officer said.

Traffic was mainly due to "rubber neckers," he said, as all lanes remained open.

"We've had two small intermittent closures to move the tow equipment (around). Other than that we've had all lanes open the whole time."

Murrieta fire Capt. Mike Ramos, who coaches at Calvary Murrieta Christian Schools, was sitting in his Ford F-150 waiting for his children to get out of school when he said he saw the rig coming straight for him.

"So I scrambled out the other side," Ramos said. "I saw something coming at me and I had to get out of there."

He said his truck had some scratches on it from a tree that was hit by the truck as it came crashing into the school parking lot.

"Thank goodness everybody is OK," Ramos said.

Calvary Murrieta Christian Schools Athletic Director George Escalante said damage to the school lot included a downed pole, tree and fence.

Escalante said fortunately, no kids were walking in the area where the truck landed.

"This is the walkway between the upper and lower campuses," Escalante said. "Praise God nobody was walking through here. That is divine intervention."

ORIGINAL POST:

A big rig went off the northbound 15 Freeway Thursday and overturned in Murrieta, ending up in the parking lot of a high school.

The crash just north of California Oaks Road was reported at 3:01 p.m., prompting officials to issue a SigAlert for both sides of the freeway for the next two hours, warning of slow traffic, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Initial reports indicated that the truck went off the freeway and down into the lot of l, 24275 Monroe Ave., according to the CHP.

The truck landed on the lower campus of the school, while junior high and high school students were just about to be let out for the day, a school official told Patch.

No immediate injuries were reported, a Murrieta police officer told Patch.

A Ford F-150 belonging to a school staff member sustained some damage in the crash.

An investigation into the accident was being conducted by CHP.

—Maggie Avants, Daniel Lane and Mirna Alfonso contributed to this report.

Editor's Note: This is a developing story. Check back with Patch for updates.