Los Angeles in what can only be described as a Christmas Eve carnage spectacle, two FedEx big rigs collided and erupted into an unbelievable scene straight out of an action movie Wednesday morning, smashing open their trailers and sending thousands of holiday packages flying like confetti across the rain-soaked 5 Freeway just hours before Christmas.
The crash, which happened in the Pacoima area of the San Fernando Valley, forced California Highway Patrol to shut down all northbound lanes as a torrent of gifts, gadgets, and mystery boxes scattered across the slick asphalt. Drivers who narrowly escaped the melee described the surreal moment when boxes, some still sealed and others popping open mid-air, skidded like marbles under the stormy skies.
Rain-Soaked Roads Turn Morning Commute Into a Holiday Nightmare
Eyewitness video from social media shows a sea of brown cardboard against the glistening freeway, with some packages launched dozens of feet from the wreckage. One commuter posted, “It looked like Santa’s sleigh exploded but with airbags and Amazon stickers.”
The northbound 5 Freeway, normally clogged with holiday travelers, was transformed into a chaotic obstacle course as emergency crews waded through waterlogged lanes to corral the flying freight and piece back together what remained of the mangled trailers. California Highway Patrol officials say the crash was likely precipitation-related, with heavy rainfall making conditions especially treacherous just as rush hour traffic began to build.
Miraculously, no serious injuries were reported, though the blast of cardboard and shipping foam startled scores of motorists and could have easily turned tragic. One taxi driver told local news crews he almost lost an eye when a stray package slammed against his windshield like a shot from a cannon.
As workers painstakingly cleared thousands of pounds of strewn cargo, many Angelenos took to social media to hunt for lost gifts, from high-end electronics to unwrapped toys headed for grateful kids on Christmas morning. Some joked that this was the wildest holiday scavenger hunt ever, while others lamented the inevitable refund requests and replacement shipments now flooding customer service lines.
The freeway is expected to reopen later today, but the viral images of packages tumbling across the asphalt will live on and into countless holiday group texts. Talk about a Christmas to remember.
