Widow sues after fatal Southern California hydrogen truck explosion

ktla ^ | 07/30/2026 | Lily Dallow, Kareen Wynter

[BenLurkin]

A lawsuit has been filed over a deadly hydrogen truck explosion in San Bernardino County that killed a father of five earlier this year, with the victim’s family alleging the tragedy was preventable.

Moises Perez died on Feb. 24 after a truck hauling compressed hydrogen cylinders exploded at a yard in Colton, according to the lawsuit filed by his widow, Ivena Perez.

The complaint alleges Perez, a truck driver transporting hydrogen gas, reported a gas leak to dispatch before arriving at the facility. Rather than being instructed to stop, the lawsuit claims workers told him to continue driving the transport vehicle to a Colton yard.

According to the family’s attorneys, Perez exited the vehicle after arriving at the facility. Moments later, the truck exploded, killing Perez and another worker.

The lawsuit alleges Perez’s death was the result of negligence and claims the companies involved failed to warn him about what attorneys describe as “significant problems” involving hazardous hydrogen gas leaks in compressed hydrogen cylinders mounted to transport trailers.

The complaint further alleges similar incidents involving trucks hauling compressed hydrogen occurred in 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024, with some prompting investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board.

...

The explosion happened shortly before 11 p.m. on Feb. 24 at a facility in the 2100 block of Miguel Bustamante Parkway in Colton.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: compressedhydrogen; hydrogen; truckexplosion

[17th Miss Regt]

The complaint alleges Perez, a truck driver transporting hydrogen gas, reported a gas leak to dispatch before arriving at the facility. Rather than being instructed to stop, the lawsuit claims workers told him to continue driving the transport vehicle to a Colton yard. ...

The lawsuit alleges Perez’s death was the result of negligence and claims the companies involved failed to warn him about what attorneys describe as “significant problems” involving hazardous hydrogen gas leaks in compressed hydrogen cylinders mounted to transport trailers.

It sounds like he was aware enough to report the leak, but the company made a bet that it would not be a problem. They lost.

[know.your.why]

I wonder how many Lawyers lined up for this...

THE BENEFIT OF GOING TO LAW, by: Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

TWO beggars traveling along,
One blind, the other lame.
Pick'd up an oyster on the way,
To which they both laid claim:

The matter rose so high, that they
Resolv'd to go to law,
As often richer fools have done,
Who quarrel for a straw.

A lawyer took it straight in hand,
Who knew his business was
To mind nor one nor t'other side,
But make the best o' the cause,

As always in the law's the case;
So he his judgment gave,
And lawyer-like he thus resolv'd
What each of them should have;

Blind plaintif, lame defendant, share
The friendly laws impartial care,
A shell for him, a shell for thee,
The middle is the lawyer's fee.

[catnipman]

compressed hydrogen is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS: EXTREMELY CORROSIVE and EXTREMELY EXPLOSIVE, mmmmmkay ...

[catnipman]

i can’t imagine ANYBODY with any sense at all would ignore a hydrogen leak ... well except maybe if dot Indians were running the company: Sighn: “Sanja, we’ve had a report of a hydrogen leak.” Sanja: “Sighn, ignore it, the driver isn’t one of us.”

[E. Pluribus Unum]

compressed hydrogen is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS: EXTREMELY CORROSIVE and EXTREMELY EXPLOSIVE, mmmmmkay ...

[Lockbox]

Because hydrogen is the smallest molecule, it easily escapes from containers.

[shotgun]

The guys at the gate knew enough about the hazard which is probably why they told him to park it somewhere else!

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Thanks for sharing that. New to me!

[zeestephen]

Because hydrogen is the smallest element on the Periodic Table, leaks are very common, in every venue.

I will guess that an expert decided the leak was tolerable, based on past experience.

[NonValueAdded]

IIRC, there was an old story about firefighters using a broom to detect a hydrogen fire, which is basically invisible. they had them waving the broom along the sides of a hydrogen tanker.

Sounds like the best use of the broom would be to fly away as quickly as possible.

[trebb]

I couldn’t find any data on whether or not the family was/is here legally - perhaps he had to ignore the danger because the company “owned” him.

[Scrambler Bob]

Because hydrogen is the smallest molecule, it easily escapes from containers.
= = =

So an ICE victim should declare as being ‘hydrogen’.

And easily escape?

Well, their brain would qualify as the smallest molecule.