Runaway big rig on Calif. highway injures 10

updated 9:43 p.m. ET Dec. 31, 2008

LEBEC, Calif. - A runaway big rig smashed into 11 other vehicles on a foggy highway in mountains northwest of Los Angeles, injuring at least 10 people, authorities said.

California Highway Patrol Officer Scott Jobinger said the truck driver reported that his brakes failed as he was driving on a downhill stretch of Interstate 5.

At least 10 people were hospitalized with major injuries, Jobinger said.

Investigators planned to examine the brakes to determine if they were working. The fog could have also been a contributing factor, Jobinger said.

At the time of the crash, heavy fog blanketed the mountain pass located about 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Visibility was reported to be as low as 250 feet.

Check back later for more details on this developing story.

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