A fatal two-vehicle collision on the eastbound 10 Freeway in Covina anchored a series of traffic incidents that snarled the Friday morning commute across Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The California Highway Patrol confirmed that one person died in the early morning crash, which triggered significant lane closures and a major investigation that lasted for several hours.
The fatal incident occurred shortly after 3:30 a.m. near the Via Verde exit. According to the California Highway Patrol, the collision involved two vehicles, both of which sustained extensive damage. Emergency responders arrived to find the wreckage blocking a large portion of the highway, and video from the scene showed debris scattered across the asphalt as crews worked. As a result of the investigation and the need to clear the scene, officials ordered the closure of the four leftmost lanes of the eastbound 10 Freeway. These closures were expected to remain in effect until at least 9:00 a.m., creating a significant bottleneck for drivers heading toward the Inland Empire from the San Gabriel Valley.
Roughly 10 miles to the west in El Monte, another incident further complicated the morning drive. Authorities were forced to issue a SigAlert for all lanes of the eastbound 10 Freeway at Peck Road following a separate traffic accident. While that scene was eventually cleared and all lanes were reopened later in the morning, the initial total closure contributed to a massive backup that rippled through the neighboring communities.
Meanwhile, a third incident was reported on the eastbound 10 Freeway at Holt Avenue in West Covina. This crash involved a motorcycle, which was spotted by aerial observers resting on the offramp. The condition of the rider and the specific cause of that crash remained under investigation on Friday morning. It was not immediately clear if other vehicles were involved or if any additional injuries were reported in that specific collision.
The traffic troubles extended east into San Bernardino County as well. At approximately 3:30 a.m.—at the same time the fatal Covina crash was first reported—a collision involving a large commercial big rig and a sedan occurred in Fontana. This accident blocked two right lanes of the eastbound 10 Freeway at Etiwanda Avenue.
Crews worked for more than two hours to clear the Fontana wreckage. The right lanes remained blocked until approximately 5:48 a.m., when the California Highway Patrol finally reopened the roadway to traffic. Despite the reopening of those lanes, the combined effect of these four distinct incidents across a nearly 30-mile stretch of the freeway left commuters facing hours of delays throughout the morning peak.
As of Friday morning, officials had not released the identity of the person killed in the Covina crash, pending the notification of next of kin. Investigators are continuing to look into the causes of each individual incident to determine the factors that led to the high volume of accidents within a short timeframe.
