Big Rig Veers Off Interstate 5 And Wraps Around Tree

STOCKTON (CBS13) – A big rig driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel before veering off Interstate 5 and wrapping around a large oak tree in Stockton, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The truck was traveling in the northbound lanes of I-5 when it crashed just south of Eight Mile Road at 6:00 this morning.

The big rig went down an embankment and slammed into an oak tree ripping open the trailer. The driver may have been momentarily pinned in the truck. He has been taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, according to CHP.

The truck is loaded with food products and toilet paper which will have to be offloaded before crews can remove the crumpled truck.

The accident is not blocking lanes but there are CHP vehicles on the shoulder.