None Badly Hurt : Wreck, Fires Cause Huge Freeway Jam

A tractor-trailer rig jackknifed and overturned on the southbound San Diego Freeway in Costa Mesa, spilling half its load of lumber before erupting in flames and sparking a massive rush-hour traffic jam that stretched more than eight miles for nearly four hours Wednesday morning.

One fire engine responding to the truck and passenger car in flames near the Bristol Street overpass got stuck in the traffic snarl and had to radio for a backup unit, a Costa Mesa Fire Department official said.

Spokesmen for the California Highway Patrol and the Costa Mesa Fire Department said it was a miracle that only two persons received minor injuries out of the eight involved in the three-vehicle collision.

Vehicles Explode in Flames

“All these people were very, very lucky,” said Fire Capt. Jim Richey.

Officials said the truck driver and his three passengers and the occupants of a Ford LTD that swerved in front of the lumber rig were able to get out of their vehicles before each exploded into flames about 7:10 a.m.

Richey said it took more than 800 gallons of water to extinguish the blaze.

The driver of the Ford, Donatilo Perez, 32, of Fountain Valley, was treated at Mercy General Hospital in Santa Ana for minor cuts on his right wrist. His passenger, Manuel Jose Hernandez, 19, of Santa Ana, was treated for minor facial cuts at the hospital, Richey said.

A second passenger, Cecilia Lopez, whose husband reportedly owned the car, was not injured, officials said.

Four in Truck Cab Unhurt

Neither truck driver Lyle Pope, 31, of Redding or three relatives riding inside the cab with him were injured.

Danni Xanthopoulos, 30, of Santa Ana, was not injured when the truck swerved into her late-model Buick.

CHP Officer Chris Wright said Perez, who was southbound on the San Diego Freeway, attempted to change lanes but swerved back when he saw that cars ahead were stopping. In the process, Wright said, Perez lost control of his car and spun over into another lane, colliding with the cab of Pope’s rig.

“Traffic had slowed and stopped ahead and he (Perez) just did not see it,” Wright said Wednesday. “He just panicked and lost control of the car.”

The rig, pulling two flatbed trailers loaded high with lumber, swerved and jackknifed, toppling the second trailer and sending boards careening across all but one lane of traffic.

‘Lucky It Wasn’t Worse

When Pope swerved to the right, the second trailer hit the front of Xanthopoulos’ car, causing minor damage.

“They were lucky it wasn’t worse,” Wright said Wednesday.

Morning commuters were not so lucky, however.

Traffic was backed up beyond Golden West Avenue in Westminster, forcing many irate drivers to exit and take alternate surface streets around the snarled mess.

The truck-trailer rig blocked all but the fast lane of traffic until it was towed away shortly after 10 a.m., Wright said. Caltrans crews cleared the last of the spilled lumber by 10:45 a.m.

Damage to the truck-trailer rig was estimated at $65,000. At least half of Pope’s cargo of lumber, bound for San Ysidro, was believed salvageable, fire officials said. The car driven by Perez was a total loss.

Wright said an investigation is continuing.