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Sylmar, CA (August 19, 2026) – A person was rescued on Monday, August 17, after their SUV struck the back of a semi-truck parked on the shoulder of northbound I-5 in Sylmar. It happened at Roxford Street, just north of the 405 Freeway split.
The back corner of the semi’s trailer pierced the SUV’s windshield, and the vehicle’s airbags deployed, according to authorities. A witness told investigators the semi had been parked on the right shoulder when the SUV struck it.
The driver was pulled from the SUV and taken to a hospital in unknown condition.
Two right lanes of the northbound freeway were blocked while crews investigated the wreck. We hope for a full recovery for the driver.
Why Are Rear Impacts With Parked Semis So Dangerous?
Parked or disabled trucks on a freeway shoulder present a unique hazard, since a trailer’s height and shape don’t always align with a smaller vehicle’s front-end crumple zone. When a lower car strikes the back of a trailer, the impact can occur higher up on the vehicle, sometimes reaching the windshield rather than being absorbed by the hood and bumper first.
This type of collision is sometimes referred to as an underride crash, and it’s a particular focus of vehicle safety research because standard front-end protection isn’t always effective against a raised trailer bed. Some trailers are equipped with rear underride guards specifically designed to prevent this kind of pass-under strike, though older or improperly maintained equipment may not always perform as intended.
Freeway shoulders can be a blind spot for approaching drivers, especially if a vehicle is only partially visible or a driver is distracted in the moments before reaching it. Staying alert for hazard lights, road flares, or a parked vehicle’s silhouette can give a driver more time to react and change lanes safely.
