PILEUP CRIPPLES COMMUTE; DUMP TRUCK TOUCHES OFF 12-CAR COLLISION ON 14.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Daily News Staff Writer

Antelope Valley Freeway rush-hour traffic came to a standstill for three hours early Thursday after a dump truck collided with several cars, causing a 12-vehicle, chain-reaction pileup.

A dump truck driver heading south shortly after 7 a.m. on the Antelope Valley Freeway noticed that cars ahead of him were slowing or stopped and tried to swerve around them, California Highway Patrol officers said.

``He swerved to the right and struck a side railing,'' said CHP Officer Doug Sweeny. ``He bounced off the railing, swerved left and began impacting cars in front of him, causing a major chain reaction.''

Thursday's crash - which completely blocked the southbound lanes for one hour while traffic was diverted off the freeway at Escondido Road and back on at Agua Dulce Canyon Road - capped the problems caused by Monday's severe storm, which washed out roads and triggered mudslides that still must be cleared.

Three major commuter alternatives to the freeway remain closed because of storm damage: Sierra Highway from Vasquez Canyon Road to Agua Dulce Canyon Road; Soledad Canyon Road south of Agua Dulce Canyon Road; Bouquet Canyon Road from Spunky Canyon Road to Vasquez Canyon Road and from San Francisquito Canyon Road to Spunky Canyon Road.

``All these are major commuter alternative routes,'' Sweeny said. ``It's causing a major strain on the Antelope Valley Freeway.''

Agua Dulce resident Cecilia Secka said it took her 90 minutes Wednesday and over an hour Thursday to get to work in Canoga Park, normally a 45-minute drive. She had to detour down Agua Dulce Canyon and Davenport roads to get around the washed-out section of Sierra Highway.

``There was a lot of water and mud, so people had to go through at a crawl,'' said Secka, general manager of Clarion Hotel in Canoga Park.

Authorities identified the dump truck driver as Juan Garcia, 56, of Santa Paula. His truck hit the rear of a Dodge Dakota driven by a Armando Gonzalez, 33, of Palmdale, shoving Gonzalez's truck onto a cement barrier.

Gonzalez was transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia with complaints of pain in the neck, back and shoulders. He was treated and released.

Although Garcia said his dump truck's brakes failed, CHP officials said they found nothing wrong with the brakes.

Four other people were also transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital with complaints of pain and were treated and released.

Debbie Lopez, 28, of Palmdale was on her way to drop off her 8-year-old daughter Ashley at school in Sun Valley when her car was rear-ended.

``I was stopped in the fast lane when I heard a crash and I looked in my rear view mirror,'' Lopez said. ``Then I saw this 18-wheeler coming down. He looked like he wasn't paying attention. He was coming down too fast.

``I could see him hit a couple of cars.'' Lopez's Acura Integra was rear-ended by the car behind it.

Montana resident Mark Twogood was driving a truck south when the dump truck went around him.

``He was pushing everything out of his way,'' Twogood said.

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2 Photos

PHOTO (1--Color) (Ran in SAC Edition only) CHP officers work to free traffic on the Antelope Valley Freeway south of Escondido Canyon Road following a 12-car pileup.

Bhavna Mistry / Daily News

(2--Color in SAC Edition only) Vehicles congest the Antelope Valley Freeway in Acton after a pileup snarled traffic Thursday.

Hans Gutknecht / Daily News