The driver of a big rig died after slamming into the back of a large FedEx truck that had stalled in the middle of the eastbound 91 Freeway in Buena Park, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred after the FedEx truck stalled in either the No. 3 or 4 lane on the eastbound 91 Freeway at South Knott Avenue around midnight Wednesday. A big rig traveling in the same direction “saw the Federal Express truck and wasn’t able to stop,” said CHP Officer Denise Quesada.

Osmond Salazar, who KTLA identified as the driver of the FedEx truck, said he had just gotten out of his truck after it stalled when the crash occurred.

“I was very scared,” Salazar said, adding that he just started running “because more cars were coming, so everybody’s going to crash.”


Two sport utility vehicles also crashed after the big rig, sending at least one other person to a hospital. The driver of the big rig, who was not immediately identified, was taken to UCI Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Only the carpool lane was open for several hours along the stretch of freeway, clogging the early morning commute prompting a SigAlert. Quesada said the No. 1 and 2 lanes had opened by 5 a.m., and the No. 3 lane by 6 a.m.

ari.bloomekatz@latimes.com

Twitter: @aribloomekatz