A big rig carrying 40,000 pounds of printer paper toppled into a ravine on Highway 152 (Hecker Pass) just after 9am May 6. Photo: Tarmo Hannula

A big rig carrying 40,000 pounds of printer paper toppled into a ravine on Highway 152 (Hecker Pass) just after 9am May 6. 

The California Highway Patrol said the male driver, who suffered minor injuries, was traveling from Los Angeles to Watsonville for the PTS, Inc. company when he lost control while navigating a tight curve on southbound Highway 152. The vehicle and trailer rolled off the pavement after losing control. 

The accident occurred in the westbound lane of Highway 152 near Casserly Road in Santa Cruz County. 

Kelvin Ramer of Auto Care Towing said his crew would use 50-ton and 80-ton rotator towing rigs to stabilize the truck before crews could offload the cargo. 

The CHP said a crew from Caltrans shut down the major corridor between Watsonville and Gilroy to allow for recovery efforts. Ramer said the operation could take around eight hours, keeping the road closed to vehicle traffic until about 5pm May 6.

As of 11:30am, the highway was closed between Watsonville Road and Casserly Road, according to the Caltrans website. 

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Tarmo Hannula has been the lead photographer with The Pajaronian newspaper in Watsonville since 1997. More recently Good Times & Press Banner. He also reports on a wide range of topics, including police, fire, environment, schools, the arts and events. A fifth generation Californian, Tarmo was born in the Mother Lode of the Sierra (Columbia) and has lived in Santa Cruz County since the late 1970s. He earned a BA from UC Santa Cruz and has traveled to 33 countries.

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