Food bank truck crashes, spills 4,600 pounds of food near Vandenberg Air Force base

A truck belonging to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County flipped onto its side while en route to Lompoc on Monday, resulting in the loss of about 4,600 pounds of food for people in need.

At approximately 9:40 a.m., law enforcement officers were dispatched to the intersection of Highway 1 and California Boulevard in front of the main entrance to Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The 2008 International refrigerated truck was heading south from the Santa Maria warehouse to the Lompoc branch of the United Boys & Girls Club with supplies for the SAFE Food distribution program.

In the process of making a left turn at the intersection the truck flipped onto its right side, hitting a light pole.

No one was injured in the crash, and traffic continued traveling on the roadway despite the wreck.

The truck’s driver and passenger were National Guard troops deployed to assist the Foodbank, according to Judith Smith-Meyer from the food bank.

Trip logs indicate that the truck never exceeded speed limits, and the cargo was below capacity load, she added.

The truck was carrying mixed produce, rice, beans, cheese, milk, cereal and water worth $6,500.

Since the food was involved in a crash, the food bank cannot distribute the items, representatives said.

A number of layoffs and paused jobs related to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased demand for the food bank’s services.

“The foodbank is grateful that no injuries were sustained, and for the help of our dedicated National Guard volunteers who have been invaluable in our ability to serve more than double our normal numbers of community members with more than twice as much food as normal for this time of year,” Smith-Meyer said.

“This unprecedented expansion of food bank operations has resulted in a parallel load on our staff, volunteers and truck fleet,” she added.

Food bank representatives were awaiting an assessment on the damage to the truck and whether it will be deemed a total loss.

Caltrans also was dispatched to repair a damaged pole on the corner.

This is the second time in less than two years a Foodbank truck has been involved in crash.

In October 2018, a box truck dubbed “Old Reliable” toppled and blocked Highway 1, a short distance away from the scene of Monday’s crash.