Los Angeles, CA (February 26, 2026) – A white semi-truck with a trailer crashed into a center divider on southbound Interstate 5 at the Templin Highway off-ramp in Los Angeles County in the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 25. The incident was first reported around 12:47 AM.
The semi came to rest on top of the center divider guardrail, and debris was scattered across the lanes. A Sig Alert was issued shortly after 2:20 AM, with lane one shut down for an extended period. Caltrans crews responded to the scene, and the closure stretched well into the afternoon as repairs to approximately 100 feet of detached guardrail were completed.
The number one lane remained closed through multiple Sig Alert extensions, with the final extension lasting an additional two hours into the late afternoon. All other lanes were reported open during much of the closure. A rolling fire was also briefly reported in connection with the crash, though no further details about it were confirmed.
At least one person was reported injured. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are expected to release additional details as they become available. Our thoughts are with those affected as they recover.
Semi-Truck Crashes and Guardrail Damage on California’s I-5 Corridor
Semi-truck crashes involving center divider guardrails are particularly disruptive on California freeways because the structural damage they cause often requires extended repair times. When a large commercial vehicle strikes and dislodges a guardrail, Caltrans crews must assess whether the barrier is still capable of performing its safety function before traffic can fully resume. This process can take many hours, especially on overnight incidents when resources may be more limited.
The stretch of I-5 near Templin Highway runs through a mountainous section of Los Angeles County known for winding grades and limited shoulders. These conditions make it more difficult for large trucks to recover from road position errors, and crashes in this area tend to have significant consequences. Debris in travel lanes adds an additional hazard for drivers approaching the scene.
Sig Alerts on this portion of I-5 can affect commuters traveling between the Los Angeles basin and the Santa Clarita Valley, often causing delays that ripple across connecting routes for several hours.