CHP: Big Rig Plummeted 41 Feet Off Highway, Burst Into Flames

While the cause of the fiery crash on Highway 129 near the Santa Cruz-San Benito county line Tuesday afternoon remains under investigation, the California Highway Patrol on Wednesday released new details.

A big rig hauling two trailers was heading west on the highway at about 45 mph as a Mitubishi sedan traveled east. The two vehicles collided just west of Highway 101 around 12:10 p.m., according to CHP Officer Herb Kellogg.

Kellogg explained that one vehicle crossed the double-yellow line, but did not say which vehicle drifted into the path of the other. 

The force of the crash sent the big-rig through a metal guardrail and careening down a 41-foot dirt embankment on the right side of the highway. The driver, 37-year-old Walter Eckstein of Hanford, was able to climb out of his truck just before the vehicle burst into flames, Kellogg said. 

The car stopped on the right shoulder of the narrow highway, partially blocking one lane, the CHP reported. Photos from the scene show its front end and wheels gone. Its driver, 21-year-old Mitchel Kraft of Aromas, had to be cut from the car by the Hollister Fire Department and the San Benito County Fire Department, Kellogg reported.

Kraft suffered significant injuries and was flown to San Jose Regional Medical Center for treatment, according to the CHP.

The flames from the burning big rig ignited vegetation nearby, according to the CHP. CalFire crews controlled the grass fire. The smoke from the combined fires created a black column that could be seen from miles around.

Diesel fuel also spilled on the roadway and had to be cleaned up, Kellogg said. 

Highway 129 was closed from Highway 101 to about a miles west of until about 3:30 p.m. 

Highway 129, a thoroughfare connecting Watsonville with Highway 101, is a narrow, two-lane route through farmland. The well-traveled route mixes passenger vehicles with large trucks and farm vehicles. The entire road is a no-passing zone—a change made in recent years in hopes of reducing the number of collision—and speeds are limited to 55 mph.