Big Rig Crash Snarls Traffic On 405 Freeway In Sherman Oaks

SHERMAN OAKS, CA — A semitruck crashed into a concrete divider on the northbound 405 freeway early Thursday morning in Sherman Oaks, closing down part of the busy highway for several hours.

The crash occurred around 4:45 a.m. when the big rig jackknifed and hit the barrier that divides the transition between the 405 and 101 freeways. It’s unknown what caused the crash; the truck’s driver fled the scene on foot, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Weston Haver.

“We don’t know why he or she did that. … We checked the surrounding area and hospitals [for the driver] to no avail,” he said.

Haver added that it’s unknown what company the driver was working for as it’s early in the investigation.

The transition lanes from the 405 to the 101 freeways remained closed to traffic as of 10 a.m. and were expected to remain that way for several more hours as a crew from the California Department of Transportation cleared the scene, Haver said.

Anyone with information about the crash was encouraged to call the CHP's West Valley office at 818-888-0980.