It happened on Thursday in Mendocino County, just north of San Francisco.
A California Highway Patrol said they cited the driver, Christopher Cortez, for ignoring the many warning signs on the restricted roadway.
@Caltrans video from Route 175 near Hopland yesterday. Chronic problem on this stretch of road. Driver okay. Truck still below. Asking why and how. #abc7now pic.twitter.com/1OoKvQxeEy
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) October 12, 2018
"He stated that he saw a few of them," according to patrol officer Robert Powers. "He said he would try to work his luck and see what he could do with it."
The truck laid 100 feet down the ravine and will force a future closure of at least one day to retrieve it. The construction crew that recorded the video said they warned the driver, but he continued.
"The tractors take a different line than the trailers," said Jim Shupe with California's Department of Transportation. "His trailer got in the berm and the trailer pulled him over."
Certainly plenty of warnings for long trucks along Rt.175#abc7now pic.twitter.com/eMQ0HFgSPG
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) October 12, 2018
Locals have seen similar incidents happen several times.
"I saw it yesterday. There goes another one,'" said one woman her car.
There was a similar, less severe incident last January where a wine truck carrying hundreds of bottles failed to make the turn. It resulted in closing the same state highway for two days.
Another look at the turn on Route 175 where more than one semi truck has plummeted into a ravine. #abc7now @caltrans blames truckers not reading Warning signs on this restricted road. pic.twitter.com/kf3jqoIAGy
— Wayne Freedman (@WayneFreedman) October 12, 2018
Despite road construction that has narrowed the two-lane road to one at the difficult turn, officials said it would still be restricted.
Powers was asked if a similar incident would happen again.
He answered, "100 percent. We could put a sign and a video of the truck on the loop, and it would happen again."
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