BALDWIN PARK – A 22-year-old San Dimas man was struck and killed by an ambulance early Saturday when he exited his vehicle after being involved in a prior non-injury crash on the 10 Freeway, authorities said.
Eduardo Montano died in the 5:13 a.m. incident on the eastbound 10 Freeway, just west of Puente Avenue, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Licon said in a written statement.
Montano was driving a 1992 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck when, for an unknown reason, Montano allowed his truck to strike the rear of a 2010 Nissan Sentra that was driving ahead of him at about 65 mph, the sergeant said.
The driver of the Nissan pulled over in the right lane and turned on his emergency flashers, officials said, while the pickup truck went out of control and hit the center median.
A 23-year-old West Covina man was driving an ambulance eastbound on the 10 just after the crash and saw the Nissan stopped in the right lane, Licon said.
The ambulance driver swerved into the fast lane to pass the stalled Nissan, but was focused on the Nissan and did not immediately see the pickup truck disabled in the fast lane, nor Montano, who had exited his truck and was standing next to it, the sergeant said.
"When he focused his attention forward, he observed the Toyota Tacoma directly ahead," Licon said. "(The ambulance driver) steered his vehicle to the left, and the right front of his vehicle struck the left side of the Toyota Tacoma and Mr. Montano."
Montano was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said. No one else was injured in either of the crashes.
Officials blocked the three left lanes of the eastbound 10 Freeway for about three hours as they investigated the crash, according to CHP logs. No one was cited, officials said.
Any witnesses to this crash are asked to call the Baldwin Park office of the CHP at 626-338-1164.
