Man Dies When Car Hits Stopped Truck

DOWNEY — A 35-year-old man died Thursday morning when his truck hit a hay-filled tractor-trailer stopped on the Century Freeway, which was then closed for hours, the California Highway Patrol said.

The man, whose name was withheld pending notification of relatives, was driving west near Lakewood Boulevard at 5:20 a.m. when the accident occurred. He was thrown through the windshield of his vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the hay trailer was unhurt and was not cited. Highway Patrol Officer Frank Sansone said he did not know why the trailer driver had stopped.

The crash scattered bales of hay over the freeway, forcing its closure. At 11:30 a.m., authorities managed to reopen the fast lane, but the other three lanes remained closed into the early afternoon, Sansone said.