Dog Survives Fatal I-10 Crash

A man was killed and several others were injured Friday when a tractor-trailer jacknifed across eastbound Interstate 10 lanes, but a dog and its owner inside the big rig survived, officials said.

The collision, which involved at least two other vehicles, was reported around 8 a.m. on eastbound I-10 west of Monroe Street, Riverside County Fire Department spokeswoman Cheri Patterson said.

Harry Griffith, 53, of Redwood City was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Riverside County Coroner's Office. Griffith was the driver of a car that was rear-ended by the tractor-trailer.

Four patients were transported to Desert Regional Medical Center, two with critical injuries and one each with moderate and minor injuries, respectively, Patterson said.

A 5-year-old Collie mix that had been riding in the big rig was picked up from the crash scene by the Riverside County Department of Animal Services.

"She does not exhibit any physical signs of serious injury, but the dog does appear very nervous and seems out of sort," said John Welsh, an Animal Services spokesman. "We are caring for her in an isolation area, away from our general population, to keep her more calm."

The dog will be held at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus until its owner is released from the hospital, Welsh said.

On I-10, hazardous materials and environmental health officials were also
called to the scene to investigate a fuel spill, Patterson said.

All eastbound lanes near Jefferson were closed until about 11 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol and Caltrans.

For photos of the crash scene, check out MyDesert.com's report. 

-City News Service contributed to this report.