210 Freeway Accidents in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley: Dangerous Stretches, Who Investigates, and What to Do

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

Our office sits on Lake Avenue in Pasadena, a few blocks from the 210. People who call us after a freeway crash are hurt, their car is gone, and an insurance adjuster is already calling. This guide is for drivers, passengers and families hurt on the Foothill Freeway in Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley. It covers the trouble spots, who writes the report, who can be held responsible, and the deadlines that matter.

Where are the most dangerous stretches of the 210 in the San Gabriel Valley?

The riskiest parts of the 210 are the big interchanges and the long, fast straightaways between them, where traffic merges, weaves and stops suddenly. Through our area, the freeway connects with the 134 and 710 in Pasadena, the 605 near Irwindale and Duarte, and the 57 near Glendora and San Dimas.

We do not have reliable crash counts for each mile of the 210 to share here, and we would rather not guess. What we can tell you is what recent, well-reported crashes have looked like on this corridor:

• Irwindale, June 20, 2026. According to the CHP as reported by KTLA and NBC Los Angeles, an eastbound semi-truck crashed through the center divider just west of Irwindale Avenue, jackknifed across the westbound lanes and struck multiple vehicles. One woman was killed and 32 other people were injured, including minors.
• Arcadia, December 15, 2025. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that a wrong-way driver on the eastbound 210 east of Michillinda Avenue crashed head-on into another car at about 3 a.m. The wrong-way driver died and the other driver suffered major injuries.
• Pasadena, August 1, 2026. KTLA reported that a pedestrian was killed late at night on the eastbound 210 just west of Lake Avenue, and the freeway was closed for at least two hours.
• Glendora, October 1, 2026. ABC7 reported that a semi-truck hit the guardrail on the connector from the northbound 57 to the westbound 210, spilling a load of drywall and closing the connector for hours.

Stretch of the 210	Key interchanges and exits	Crash patterns seen in recent reports	Who investigates
La Cañada Flintridge to central Pasadena	Route 2 (Glendale Freeway); 134/710 junction near the Rose Bowl and Old Pasadena	Weaving and merging at the 134/710 junction, rear-end and sideswipe crashes in heavy traffic	CHP Altadena Area
East Pasadena to Arcadia	Lake Ave, Hill Ave, Sierra Madre Villa, Rosemead Blvd, Michillinda Ave, Baldwin Ave	Late-night wrong-way crashes, pedestrians on the freeway, stop-and-go rear-end collisions	CHP (Altadena Area covers the Pasadena portion; the report will name the Area office)
Monrovia, Duarte and Irwindale	I-605 (San Gabriel River Freeway), Mountain Ave, Irwindale Ave	Big-rig crashes, including a cross-median semi crash in June 2026	CHP (Baldwin Park Area has handled 210 enforcement in this part of the valley; confirm on the report)
Azusa, Glendora and San Dimas	Azusa Ave, Grand Ave, Route 57 (Orange Freeway) connectors	Truck crashes and spilled loads on connector ramps, multi-vehicle collisions	CHP (Baldwin Park Area; confirm on the report)

Who investigates an accident on the 210 Freeway?

The California Highway Patrol investigates crashes on state freeways, including the 210, even when the crash happens inside city limits such as Pasadena, Arcadia or Glendora. City police departments generally handle crashes on surface streets.

According to the CHP, its Altadena Area office patrols about 400 square miles, including State Route 134, State Route 710 and portions of Interstate 210. Farther east, other CHP Area offices handle the freeway, and the Baldwin Park Area has been active on the 210 in the eastern San Gabriel Valley. The simplest way to know which office has your case is to look at the card or report number the officer gave you at the scene.

Two practical points. First, under Vehicle Code section 20008, a driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone must make a written report to the CHP, or to city police if the crash happened in a city, within 24 hours. Second, the CHP report is an officer’s opinion based on what was visible that day. It matters, but it is not the final word on fault.

How do I get a CHP report for a 210 Freeway accident?

You can request a CHP crash report online through the CHP Crash Portal, or by filling out a CHP 190 (Application for Release of Information) and submitting it in person or by mail to a CHP Area office. You must be a proper “party of interest,” such as a driver, passenger, vehicle owner, parent of a minor, or a legal representative.

• Online: The CHP’s Request a Crash Report page links to the Crash Portal.
• In person or by mail: Complete the CHP 190, attach a copy of your driver license or photo ID (or have the form notarized), and send it to the Area office. The CHP says any of its offices can help get a copy of a CHP report, even one written by a different office.
• Fees: The CHP asks you to contact the Area office for the exact fee. Call before you mail anything.
• If the CHP did not write it: The CHP can only release reports it investigated. If city police handled your crash, request the report from that department.

Read the report closely when it arrives. Check names, insurance details, the diagram and the “primary collision factor.”

Accident on the 210: who pays?

In most 210 Freeway crashes, the at-fault driver’s liability insurance pays first. Depending on what happened, a trucking company, a vehicle owner, a rideshare company, your own uninsured motorist coverage, or even the State of California may also be responsible.

California’s basic negligence rule, Civil Code section 1714, makes everyone responsible for injuries caused by their lack of ordinary care. On a freeway, that usually means following too closely, speeding for conditions, unsafe lane changes, distraction or impairment. When a commercial driver causes a crash while working, the company can be responsible too, because Civil Code section 2338 makes a principal responsible for the negligence of its agent in the course of the business.

Chain-reaction crashes and shared fault

Many 210 crashes involve three, four or more vehicles. California follows “pure” comparative fault, adopted by the California Supreme Court in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) 13 Cal.3d 804. A jury assigns each person a percentage of responsibility, and an injured person’s recovery is reduced by their own share, even if that share is large. A driver rear-ended and pushed into the car ahead may face several insurers, each blaming someone else. Our guide on who is at fault in rear-end, T-bone and left-turn accidents walks through how those arguments usually go.

Big-rig crashes

Trucks are a constant on the 210, which links the Inland Empire to the San Fernando Valley. Truck cases involve more parties, more insurance, and evidence that can disappear quickly, such as driver logs and onboard electronic data. We explain the differences in why truck accident cases are nothing like car accident cases. Partamian Law Firm has handled semi-truck cases, including a $1,005,000 result for a 78-year-old client hurt when a semi-truck made a U-turn in Pomona. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. If a commercial truck was involved in your crash, our Los Angeles truck accident lawyer page explains how we approach these claims.

Can you sue Caltrans for a crash caused by the road?

Yes, in some cases. Under Government Code section 835, a public entity can be liable for injuries caused by a dangerous condition of its property, but the rules are strict and the deadline is short.

To win, an injured person must show the road was in a dangerous condition, that the condition caused the injury, that the risk was reasonably foreseeable, and either that a public employee created the condition or that the state knew or should have known about it in time to fix it. Examples might include a missing or damaged guardrail, a pothole or debris left too long, or faulty signs or striping at a construction zone. The state also has defenses. One of the most important is design immunity under Government Code section 830.6, which can protect a road design that was reasonably approved in advance.

The deadline is the part that catches people. Under Government Code section 911.2, a claim for personal injury or death must be presented no later than six months after the cause of action accrues. For claims against the state, the statute refers to presenting the claim to the Department of General Services. If the claim is rejected with written notice, Government Code section 945.6 generally gives you six months from that notice to file a lawsuit. If you think the road played any part, talk to a lawyer well before the six-month mark.

What should you do after a crash on the 210?

Get to safety, call 911, and get medical care. Then protect the evidence, because on a freeway it disappears fast: lanes reopen, debris is swept away, and vehicles are towed within hours.

• Stay safe. If your car can move, get to the right shoulder or the next exit. If it cannot, stay buckled in with hazards on unless there is fire or another immediate danger. Standing in or near freeway lanes is extremely dangerous, as the August 2026 crash in Pasadena showed.
• Call 911 and ask for the CHP. Get the officer’s name and the report or incident number before you leave.
• Take photos and video of every vehicle, plate, the lanes, skid marks, debris, damaged guardrails and any construction signs. If a truck was involved, photograph the company name and the DOT number on the cab door.
• Save your dashcam footage right away. Many dashcams record over old video in a loop. Ask other drivers and witnesses whether they had one too.
• Do not count on freeway cameras. Caltrans traffic cameras are mainly used to watch live traffic, and recorded video may not exist. If you think a camera captured your crash, a lawyer can send a written request to preserve it quickly.
• See a doctor the same day or the next, even if you feel fine. Freeway-speed crashes often cause neck, back and head injuries that show up later.
• Be careful with insurance calls. Report the crash to your own insurer, but you do not have to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer.

For a fuller checklist, see our guide on what to do after a car accident in California.

How long do you have to file a claim after a 210 Freeway crash?

For most injury claims against another driver or a trucking company, California gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit under Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1. If a government agency may share responsibility, the claim must be presented within six months.

Those are outside limits, not targets. Our post on how long you have to claim an injury after an accident covers the exceptions, including claims for minors and for wrongful death.

If you were hurt anywhere along the 210, from La Cañada Flintridge to San Dimas, we are close by. You can learn more about our work as Los Angeles car accident lawyers, or about our Pasadena personal injury practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• California Highway Patrol, (575) Altadena Area
• California Highway Patrol, Request a Crash Report
• California Highway Patrol, Collision Report (CHP 190)
• California Vehicle Code section 20008
• California Government Code section 835
• California Government Code section 911.2
• California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1
• California Civil Code section 1714

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.