Available 
LOS ANGELES, Los Angeles County, Calif., Sept. 20, 2026 — A white sedan and a yellow box truck collided on Saturday evening, September 19, on North Herbert Avenue in Los Angeles. At least one person was reportedly taken to a hospital with a head injury.
The California Highway Patrol log shows the crash was first reported near 1536 N. Herbert Ave. shortly after 6:19 p.m., with the roadway blocked. Fire crews responded alongside law enforcement, and the incident was initially logged as a collision with unknown injuries before being updated to reflect that at least one person needed prompt medical attention.
Authorities said one occupant was transported to LA General with a laceration to the head. The extent of any other injuries has not been released. A tow truck was called to the scene to remove one of the vehicles, and a rotation tow company was also requested to assist.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Officials have not said which vehicle, if either, is believed to have caused the collision, and no citations or charges have been publicly announced.
We wish those injured a full recovery.
What Actually Cuts Down on Serious Box Truck Crashes
Engineering changes to roads usually do more to prevent severe truck crashes than driver behavior alone. Roundabouts and better signal timing reduce the kind of high-speed, right-angle impacts that are common when a car and a truck cross paths at an intersection. Improved street lighting and clearer lane markings also help drivers judge a truck's speed and stopping distance, which is harder to do at night or in low visibility.
Truck crashes turn severe in large part because of a mismatch in height and structure between vehicles. When a car strikes the side or rear of a box truck, the car's frame can slide underneath the truck's bed, a problem known as underride, instead of the two vehicles' bumpers and crash structures meeting head-on the way they're designed to. Rear and side underride guards, along with median barriers that keep vehicles from crossing into oncoming lanes, are specifically built to stop that sliding motion before it reaches the passenger compartment.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 5,472 people were killed in traffic crashes involving large trucks in 2023. Cities that have paired that kind of data with intersection redesigns, better lighting near truck routes, and stricter turn-signal timing have seen fewer of the crashes where a smaller vehicle ends up underneath a truck's frame.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an underride crash?
An underride crash happens when a smaller vehicle slides partially or fully beneath a truck's trailer or bed during a collision, frequently because the truck's frame sits higher off the ground than the car's crash structure.
What are common causes of large-truck accidents?
Large-truck crashes are usually linked to blind spots, longer stopping distances, wide turns, driver fatigue, and mechanical issues, though the specific cause of any individual crash is determined by investigators, not assumed in advance.
How can drivers share the road with trucks safely?
Giving trucks extra space to turn and brake, staying out of their blind spots, and avoiding sudden lane changes near a truck's front or rear all reduce the chance of a serious collision.
Does driver fatigue contribute to truck crashes?
Fatigue is a recognized factor in a portion of large-truck crashes nationally, which is part of why federal rules limit how many consecutive hours commercial drivers can be on the road.
What to Do After a Box Truck Crash in Los Angeles, CA
If you're involved in a crash with a box truck, call 911 and move to a safe area away from traffic if you're able. Even if injuries seem minor, a medical evaluation is worth getting soon after, since head injuries and other trauma aren't always obvious right away.
Take photos of the vehicles, the road, and any visible damage if it's safe to do so, and get the names and contact information of anyone else involved or nearby. Ask for a copy of the police report once it's filed, and keep records of any medical care you receive in the days that follow.
