Big rig driver is found dead along 5 Freeway after snow closes Grapevine

A big rig driver was found dead Thursday inside his truck off the 5 Freeway along the Grapevine after authorities closed the freeway because of heavy snow.

Shortly after 8 a.m., a tow truck driver responding to a big rig stopped on the southbound portion of the freeway just north of Frazier Mountain Park Road found the driver, a man in his 40s, unresponsive inside the semi. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, California Highway Patrol Officer Thomas Bey said.

Authorities said the man appeared to have pulled over to sleep inside the truck. His death does not appear to be weather-related, Bey said.

The CHP said there were multiple vehicles stuck on the 5 Freeway at the Grapevine on Wednesday night amid heavy snowfall. Video showed some motorists trying to push their cars off the snow-covered highway.

Other freeways closed by snow included Angeles Crest Highway and the 15 Freeway in the Cajon Pass. Mountain High Ski Resort announced on Twitter it would close for the day because the roads were impassable. The area got plenty of fresh powder in the latest storm.