California Highway Patrol

On January 14, 2009 at approximately 1:05 p.m. a non-injury roll-over traffic collision occurred on Rice Avenue, just north of Hueneme Road. The incident involved a big rig which was towing a trailer loaded with pallets of cardboard. The collision forced the partial closure of Rice Avenue for over three hours while emergency crews worked to upright the rig and to clear up the roadway.

Artemo Guerra, 58 years of age from Ventura, was driving a 1995 Peterbilt tractor and trailer combination (owned by Oxnard Lemon Company) southbound on Rice Avenue, and had just traveled onto the transition to Hueneme Road. As he was traveling through a curve in the transition, the load of pallets shifted to the left, causing the right side wheels of both the tractor and trailer to lift off of the roadway. Mr. Guerra was unable to regain control as the entire combination flipped onto its left side, spilling the pallets of cardboard onto the ground. The combination came to rest on its left side and was blocking the transition to Hueneme Road. Personnel from the California Highway Patrol and the Ventura County Fire Department responded to the scene and closed down the transition roadway for over three hours while clean-up of the scene was conducted. Mr. Guerra was not injured during the collision and DUI was not a suspected factor. The incident is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.