Three Construction Workers Killed in Blythe Big Rig Crash

BLYTHE, CA – Three highway construction workers were killed when a big rig entered an Interstate 10 work zone near Blythe and struck several vehicles early Sept. 25. The truck driver suffered major injuries in the collision.

Truck Struck Work-Zone Vehicles in Blythe

The crash occurred about 5:17 a.m. on eastbound I-10 east of Intake Boulevard, according to the California Highway Patrol. A preliminary crash account said the tractor-trailer was traveling at an undetermined speed when it struck an attenuator vehicle positioned in the work zone.

The big rig then hit a Chevrolet Silverado and a water truck before striking three workers who were outside the vehicles. All three workers died at the scene. The sequence left multiple pieces of heavy equipment and work vehicles damaged across the eastbound lanes.

The truck driver, a 44-year-old Redlands man, sustained severe injuries to his head and legs. He was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center for treatment. Authorities did not release his name or provide a later update on his condition.

CHP investigators said alcohol and drugs were not initially believed to have contributed to the crash. They had not determined the truck’s speed, explained why it entered the protected work area or announced a final finding on fault. The collision prompted a SigAlert and an extended closure while emergency crews treated the injured driver, documented the scene and cleared the damaged vehicles.

Truck Accident Victims Worked on State Project

The workers were identified as two Coachella residents, ages 27 and 50, and a 39-year-old Tonopah, Arizona, resident. A coroner record confirmed that the 27-year-old worker died at the Interstate 10 construction site shortly after the crash.

All three men worked for Fisher Industries, a North Dakota company serving as a subcontractor on the Interstate 10 Blythe Pavement Rehabilitation Project. Two of the workers lived in Coachella, while the third lived in Tonopah, Arizona. The coroner said the 27-year-old worker was injured at 5:17 a.m. and pronounced dead at 5:31 a.m.

The work-zone project details describe a $241 million undertaking that covers about 88 lane miles and includes pavement, ramps, shoulders, guardrails, bridges, curb ramps, sidewalks and crosswalk improvements. The three men were performing duties inside that active state highway project when the tractor-trailer reached the work area.

The deaths brought the project to a halt as coworkers and investigators remained at the scene. CHP continued examining the collision and asked anyone with information to contact its Blythe-area office. No citation or arrest had been announced, and the agency had not released a final collision report.