KTLA

Video: Caltrans crews rescue jackknifed Amazon truck from snowy NorCal highway

Caltrans crews came to the aid of an Amazon tractor-trailer driver who had a slippery accident north of Lake Tahoe during Thursday’s storm.

The incident happened in the afternoon along a snow-covered section of State Route 89 in the Truckee area, according to Caltrans.


Maintenance workers were able to pull the trapped big rig out around 2:20 p.m., according to a Caltrans public information officer.

Video tweeted out by Caltrans showed the jack-knifed semi stuck in snow before a bulldozer managed to get it back onto the highway.

The road was reopened soon after.

“Maintenance crews work 24/7 during winter storms to get you to your destination safely,” Caltrans tweeted. “Traction devices are an important safety element for winter travel to ensure you don’t end up sideways like this guy.”

The accident occurred amid a wave of storms that are expected to bring rain and snow to California through at least the Christmas weekend.

Snowfall totals in the Sierra Nevada are forecast to reach 6 to 8 feet, but some local areas in the mountain range could see up to 12 feet through the holiday, according to the National Weather Service.