After the Evacuation : Placentia : Exterminator Truck Crashes, Spilling Pesticide

A termite control truck carrying containers of pesticides overturned Friday, spilling a bug-killing chemical in a Placentia intersection and forcing authorities to evacuate more than 100 people in the area.

The truck driver, Sal Rapabas, 26, of El Monte, suffered minor injuries when his vehicle collided with another small truck. No one else was hurt in the accident, which occurred about 9:20 a.m. at the intersection of Yorba Linda Boulevard and Kraemer Avenue.

Officials evacuated more than 100 people at the nearby El Torito Shopping Center and at a Fidelity Bank office as a precaution.

At least one 30-gallon container of the bug-killing chemical Dursban burst and spilled in the intersection, Orange County Fire Department spokeswoman Patti Range said. The chemical can cause a burning sensation if it comes in contact with skin or is inhaled, but there were no reports of injuries due to inhalation, she said.

Rapabas, an employee of the Home Care Termite Control Co. in Anaheim, was treated for minor injuries at Placentia-Linda Community Hospital, Range said.

The intersection was closed for about 2 hours while hazardous materials teams neutralized the chemical, Range said. She said the chemical was doused with bleach to neutralize it and that none of it seeped into storm drains.