Injuries Reported in Truck Accident on State Route 138 near Alray, CA

San Bernardino County, CA — January 26, 2026, injuries were reported after a truck accident at about 6 a.m. on State Route 138/Rim of the World Scenic Byway.

Authorities said at least two semi-trucks were involved in a multi-vehicle crash near Cajon Boulevard, west of Interstate 15/Barstow Freeway.

Multiple people were hospitalized with unspecified injuries after the crash south of Alray, according to authorities.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the San Bernardino County crash at this time. The accident is still under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When people hear that multiple 18-wheelers were involved in a crash on a narrow mountain route like State Route 138, their first question is usually: How does something like that even happen? That’s a fair question, especially given how dangerous that stretch of road already is without massive trucks clogging it up during early morning hours.

Authorities say this was a multi-vehicle crash involving at least two semi-trucks. Several people were hospitalized, but beyond that, the public doesn’t know much else; not how it started, not who was at fault and not what conditions may have contributed. And that leaves a lot of unanswered questions about how to make sense of what went wrong.

One thing that stands out right away is that this happened on a route known for sharp turns, steep grades and low visibility. If any of the trucks involved were descending too fast, improperly loaded or didn’t have functioning brakes, that could’ve been a recipe for disaster. But until investigators look at engine control module (ECM) data, the truck’s black box, we won’t know how fast the trucks were moving, whether braking systems were used or if any evasive maneuvers were attempted.

Another piece of the puzzle is whether this was a chain-reaction crash. Did one truck rear-end another? Did a vehicle lose control and get struck by a truck that couldn’t stop in time? These are basic but essential questions, and the answers can usually be found through dash cams, ECM data and witness statements. Unfortunately, early reports don’t mention whether any of that has been recovered or reviewed.

Depending on whether one of the trucks was already stopped, or whether the crash began with driver error, different responsibilities come into play. Was the driver distracted? That’s not just speculation. Cell phone records can answer that conclusively. Was the driver qualified to be operating a truck on a mountain pass? That gets into the trucking company’s hiring practices. Did they properly vet the driver, or were they cutting corners to fill a seat?

I’ve handled crashes where the company claimed their driver was “qualified” simply because he had a commercial license. But when we dug deeper, it turned out he’d been fired from multiple jobs and had never been evaluated for mountain or nighttime driving. In a case like that, the real problem wasn’t just the driver. It was a company that set him up to fail.

Right now, there’s no indication whether any of these investigative steps are being taken. That’s a concern, because without real scrutiny, there’s no way to know what role each party played. And that means the wrong people might get blamed, or no one at all.

Key Takeaways:

• Early reports don’t explain how the crash happened or who may have been at fault.
• ECM data, dash cam footage and phone records are essential to understanding what occurred.
• Whether a truck was moving or stopped at the time can change legal responsibilities significantly.
• Trucking company hiring and training practices may come under scrutiny depending on what the investigation reveals.
• True accountability depends on a thorough, evidence-driven investigation, not assumptions.