Caltrans Worker from Beaumont Injured in NB State Route 62 Roadside Crash

A Caltrans employee who lives in Beaumont was one of three people injured Wednesday morning when a pickup crashed into two parked trucks on the shoulder of State Route 62 northeast of the Pass, authorities said.

The two Caltrans trucks were parked on the side of the road because one truck had a dead battery and the other truck driver responded to assist, Terri Kasinga of Caltrans District 8 said in a phone interview.

The crash was reported at 6:36 a.m. on the right shoulder of the 62 north of Painted Hills Road, California Highway Patrol Officer Joe Zagorski said in a statement.

The location is about two miles north of Interstate 10, Kasinga said.

A man driving a 2003 Chevrolet S-10 crashed into the two Caltrans work trucks parked on the shoulder, Zagorski said.

Thomas Rangel, 53, of Beaumont was sitting in the driver's seat of the first parked Caltrans truck that was struck and he was suffered major injuries, Zagorski said.

The S-10 driver, Derrick Havercamp, 33, of San Jacinto, also sustained major injuries, Zagorski said.

A second Caltrans employee, 49-year-old Darryl Brown of Moreno Valley, was standing next to the right side of Rangel's truck and he sustained minor injuries, Zagorski said.

Cal Fire sent responded with four engine crews totaling 16 firefighters, Jody Hagemann of Cal Fire-Riverside County said.

All three men were taken by ambulance to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, Zagorski said.

Rangel and Brown were allowed to leave the hospital and went home with injuries, Kasinga said at 5 p.m.

Northbound lanes of the 62 were closed several hours and re-opened shortly after 2 p.m., Kasinga said.

An update on Havercamp's condition was not available Wednesday afternoon. The CHP investigation of the incident was continuing.