ANAHEIM : Shifting Load Kills Stolen Van’s Driver
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An unidentified driver was killed early Sunday when a stack of plywood slid forward and apparently crushed him against the steering wheel of a stolen van, authorities said.
The accident occurred at 4:45 a.m. on the eastbound Riverside Freeway near East Street when the 1975 Chevy van drifted into the center divider, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“The force of the impact caused the load of lumber to shift forward, crushing the driver against the steering wheel and killing him,” CHP Officer M. Langon said.
The 4-foot-by-8-foot sheets of plywood were stacked to the van’s roof and were believed to be inside the van when it was reported stolen from the Los Angeles area, a CHP spokeswoman said.
The driver, who was declared dead at the scene by Anaheim Fire Department paramedics, carried no identification, according to the Orange County coroner’s office.
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