Pesticide Spill Backs Up Golden State Freeway Traffic in Valencia

Traffic backed up about two miles in both directions on the Golden State Freeway in Valencia on Friday because a pickup truck overturned, spilling potentially hazardous pesticide and rat poison on the road.

The 3 a.m. accident initially closed six of the eight lanes of the freeway just south of Magic Mountain Parkway, when a tire apparently blew out on a northbound pickup driven by Anthony Roy Canton, 24, of Hollywood, the California Highway Patrol reported. Canton suffered minor injuries.

The Bugs Burger Bug Killers Co. truck was carrying several types of industrial strength extermination chemicals. Four containers fell into the road, spilling about 14 pounds of powdered roach and rat poison, before the truck came to a rest on the center divider, the CHP and company officials said.

The CHP and Caltrans closed three lanes on each side of the freeway, and a Los Angeles County Fire Department hazardous materials team was called.

“We had to close the lanes so the wind from passing cars wouldn’t kick up the pesticide and spread it around,” Officer Ralph Elvira said.

Shortly after 7 a.m., an additional lane was opened in each direction. But thousands of commuters were caught in a traffic jam that stretched north toward Castaic and south to Lyons Avenue. The remaining lanes of the freeway were reopened about 11:30 a.m.

Jack Kaplan, a spokesman for Bugs Burger, said passers-by would have had to ingest the pesticides to have been endangered.

Elvira said Canton helped firefighters identify the spilled pesticides. He later was taken to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital in Valencia.