Truck overturns near Paso Robles spilling fuel, powdered limestone

February 18, 2025

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

A semi-truck crashed and overturned west of Paso Robles in the Adelaida area Monday morning, prompting a hazmat response.

Bakersfield man Luis Hernandez Lopez, 29, was driving a Peterbilt truck eastbound on Chimney Rock Road while towing a trailer containing powdered limestone. At about 8:35 a.m., the Peterbilt crashed on Chimney Rock Road east of Cypress Mountain Road.

Hernandez Lopez was driving at an unsafe speed for the conditions, and he failed to slow down enough for a curve in the roadway, causing the Peterbilt’s tires to break traction from the asphalt, according to the CHP. The truck slid off the south roadway edge and overturned, resulting in powdered limestone and diesel fuel spilling into an embankment. 

Authorities closed Chimney Rock Road for approximately four hours for vehicle recovery and cleanup. Hernandez Lopez only sustained minor injuries in the crash.

Investigators determined neither alcohol, nor drugs factored into the collision. CHP officers are continuing to investigate the crash.