10 Freeway Accidents in the San Gabriel Valley: Dangerous Stretches, CHP Reports, and Who Pays

By Gary Partamian, Attorney · Partamian Law Firm, Pasadena · Updated October 2026

The 10 is the San Gabriel Valley’s main street: commuters headed downtown, buses on the El Monte Busway, and a steady line of big rigs bound for the Inland Empire. After a crash, the questions come fast. Who do I call, how do I get the report, and who pays? This guide answers them for the stretch of I-10 through Alhambra, San Gabriel, Rosemead, El Monte, Baldwin Park, West Covina, Covina, and Pomona, for people who were hurt and the families helping them.

Where are the most dangerous stretches of the 10 Freeway in the San Gabriel Valley?

The highest-risk spots on the 10 through the San Gabriel Valley are where traffic is forced to merge or weave: the 710 junction in Alhambra, the ExpressLanes between downtown and the 605, the 605 interchange near El Monte and Baldwin Park, and the Kellogg Interchange in Pomona where the 57 and 71 meet the 10.

We have not found a reliable public ranking of crashes by interchange for this corridor, so the table below is a practical map of how each stretch is built and the crashes that design tends to produce, not a statistical ranking.

Stretch (direction-neutral)	Interchange or feature	Common hazard	CHP Area office (typical)
Alhambra, Monterey Park border	I-710 junction; the 710 ends at Valley Boulevard just north of the 10	Traffic feeding on and off a short freeway stub, sudden slowing, lane changes near Fremont, Atlantic, and Garfield	East Los Angeles Area
Downtown LA to the I-605	I-10 ExpressLanes (El Monte Busway), opened as toll lanes in 2013	Illegal entry across double white lines, speed gap between express and stopped general lanes, transit buses entering and exiting	Central LA, East Los Angeles, or Baldwin Park Area, depending on location
El Monte, Baldwin Park	I-605 interchange	Heavy weaving between two major freeways, large truck share, rear-end crashes in backed-up connectors	Baldwin Park Area
Baldwin Park, West Covina, Covina	Carpool (HOV) lane east of the 605; no toll lanes yet	Stop-and-go commuter traffic, chain-reaction rear-end crashes, unsafe lane changes	Baldwin Park Area
San Dimas, Pomona	Kellogg Interchange: I-10, SR-57 (Orange Freeway), and SR-71	Multi-freeway merges, trucks heading to the Inland Empire, speed changes near the county line	Baldwin Park Area

CHP Area boundaries along the 10 are not published as exact mileposts. The Area named on your report or on the CHP incident log controls where you request the report.

Metro and Caltrans are also studying an extension of the ExpressLanes from the 605 to the Los Angeles and San Bernardino County line, with construction anticipated to begin in 2029. That means more lane-shift work zones are likely in Baldwin Park, West Covina, and Pomona over the next several years.

Who investigates an accident on the 10 Freeway?

The California Highway Patrol investigates crashes on the 10 Freeway, even when the crash happens inside city limits like Alhambra or West Covina. City police handle the surface streets; the CHP handles the freeway.

Two CHP Area offices cover most of the San Gabriel Valley portion of the 10:

• East Los Angeles Area: 1601 Corporate Center Drive, Monterey Park, CA 91754, (213) 987-0520. The CHP describes I-10 and SR-60 as major routes through this Area to the Inland Empire.
• Baldwin Park Area: 14039 Francisquito Avenue, Baldwin Park, CA 91706, (626) 517-8500. This office notes that I-10 runs through its Area, connecting San Bernardino and Riverside County traffic to Los Angeles.

Closer to downtown, the Central Los Angeles Area patrols the East Los Angeles Interchange where the 10, 5, 101, and 60 meet. If you are searching for a “10 freeway accident today,” the most direct source is the CHP Traffic Incident Information Page, which lists live incidents by Area. TV news reports are often based on the same CHP log.

Make sure an officer takes your information at the scene. That report becomes the starting point for every insurance claim that follows.

How do I get a CHP report for a 10 Freeway accident?

You can request a CHP crash report online through the CHP Crash Portal, or by filling out a CHP 190 form and taking or mailing it to the CHP Area office that wrote the report. The fee starts at $10.

The CHP releases reports to a “proper Party of Interest,” which includes drivers, passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, parents of minors, vehicle or property owners, legal representatives, and insurance companies with a valid claim. According to the CHP, the charges are:

• $10 for 1 to 25 pages
• $20 for 26 to 50 pages
• $30 for 51 to 75 pages
• $40 for 76 to 100 pages, plus $10 for each additional 25 pages

By mail, the CHP asks for a check or money order made out to the California Highway Patrol and a photocopy of your driver license, and it does not accept cash or cards for mailed requests. If you do not know the exact date or location, give your best estimate. “Westbound 10 near the Baldwin Avenue exit, around 5:30 p.m.” is more useful than “the 10.” Your own insurance company may also be able to get the report for you.

Who pays after an accident on the 10 Freeway?

The at-fault driver’s liability insurance usually pays first. On the 10, though, the at-fault party is often not just one driver: it can be a trucking company, a bus agency, or in some cases the public entity responsible for the road.

Another driver. Most claims start with the other driver’s auto policy. California follows “pure” comparative fault, which means your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame but is not wiped out just because you were partly at fault.

A big rig. When a truck causes the crash, the driver’s employer or motor carrier may be responsible along with the driver, and commercial policies are usually much larger than personal auto policies. Trucks on the 10 often carry electronic logging devices, engine data, and cameras, and that evidence can be overwritten if no one asks for it early. Our Los Angeles truck accident lawyers handle these cases.

A Metro bus or other government vehicle. The El Monte Busway carries Metro’s J Line between El Monte Station and downtown, plus other transit buses. A claim against a public agency must be presented within six months of the injury under Government Code section 911.2, not the usual two years. If a bus was involved, read more about our work as Los Angeles bus accident lawyers.

The road itself. Under Government Code section 835, a public entity can be liable for a dangerous condition of its property, such as a defective work-zone setup, if the legal requirements are met. The same six-month claim deadline applies. Starting with lawsuits filed on or after January 1, 2027, a new law (SB 577) also changes how economic damages are shared when a public entity is a defendant: unless the entity is found more than 15 percent at fault, it pays only its own share of those damages.

No insurance, or not enough. If the other driver is uninsured, underinsured, or drives away, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may pay. Our guide to hit-and-run accidents in California explains how that works. One warning: under Civil Code section 3333.4, an injured driver who was not carrying required insurance generally cannot recover pain and suffering damages, with a narrow exception when the other driver is convicted of DUI.

Who is at fault in a 10 Freeway ExpressLanes crash?

In most ExpressLanes crashes, fault turns on who crossed the double solid white lines or changed lanes unsafely. Vehicle Code section 21655.8 says drivers may enter or exit these lanes only where a single broken line is in place, not across the double lines.

The I-10 ExpressLanes run between Alameda Street near downtown and the 605. They operate 24 hours a day and are separated from regular lanes by double solid white lines. Metro’s rules for the 10 are different from the 110:

• Three or more people ride toll-free at all hours.
• Two-person carpools pay a toll during peak hours (5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.) and ride free off-peak.
• Every vehicle except a motorcycle needs a FasTrak account; the FasTrak Flex switch declares how many people are in the car.
• The CHP enforces the lanes, and Metro lists a minimum fine of $491 for crossing the double lines.

The typical crash: general lanes are stopped, the ExpressLane is moving at freeway speed, and a driver late for an exit cuts across the double lines. A violation of section 21655.8 is strong evidence of fault but does not decide the case alone; speed, following distance, and visibility all matter. Photos of the lane markings and dashcam or bus camera footage are often the most valuable evidence.

What can the October 2025 Ontario crash teach San Gabriel Valley drivers?

One of the most widely reported recent crashes on the 10 happened just over the county line, and it shows how quickly stopped freeway traffic becomes dangerous when a big rig does not slow down.

On October 21, 2025, a semi-truck traveling westbound on the 10 near the Milliken Avenue exit in Ontario, in San Bernardino County, crashed into stopped traffic at high speed, according to the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office. Three people were killed and others were seriously injured. The driver later pleaded guilty to three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence under Penal Code section 192(c)(1) and was sentenced on July 14, 2026, to 4 years and 8 months in state prison.

Two lessons carry over to the San Gabriel Valley side. First, a criminal case and an injury claim are separate: a prison sentence does not pay medical bills, and civil claims run against the driver, the carrier, and their insurers. Second, westbound traffic coming out of the Inland Empire toward Pomona carries the same mix of trucks and sudden slowdowns. Our firm has handled big-rig cases in this area, including a $1,005,000 result for a 78-year-old client hurt in a semi-truck U-turn crash in Pomona. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

What should you do after a crash on the 10 Freeway?

Get to safety, call 911, and make sure the CHP documents the crash. Then get medical care, preserve evidence, and watch your deadlines.

• Note your exact location. Direction (eastbound or westbound), the nearest exit, and whether you were in the ExpressLane, HOV lane, or general lanes.
• Photograph the commercial vehicle. For a truck, capture the company name and the DOT number on the door. For a bus, capture the bus number and route.
• Photograph lane markings. Double white lines, dashed entry areas, and work-zone cones can disappear from the scene within hours.
• Ask for the CHP incident or report number before the officer leaves.
• See a doctor within a day or two, even if you feel okay. Freeway-speed crashes often cause neck, back, and head injuries that show up later.
• Calendar the deadlines. Two years for most injury lawsuits under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, and six months for a government claim.

For a fuller checklist, see what to do after a car accident in California, and for the deadlines in detail, how long you have to claim an injury after an accident. If you live or were hurt near the west end of the corridor, you can also reach our Alhambra personal injury lawyer team. Our Los Angeles car accident lawyers represent people hurt on the 10 from downtown to Pomona.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• California Highway Patrol: Request a Crash Report
• California Highway Patrol: Collision Report (CHP 190) and fees
• California Highway Patrol: Baldwin Park Area (525)
• California Highway Patrol: East Los Angeles Area (535)
• Government Code section 911.2 (claims against public entities)
• Vehicle Code section 21655.8 (double lines at carpool and ExpressLanes)
• Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 (two-year injury deadline)
• SB 577 (2025-2026), Chapter 971, Statutes of 2026 (amends Civil Code section 1431.2)

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice. Laws change and every case is different. Speak with an attorney about your specific situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Partamian Law Firm, 301 N Lake Ave, Suite 600-Unit 61, Pasadena, CA 91101.