LOCAL : Fiery Crash Snarls Simi Freeway
A fiery accident that resulted in minor injuries caused a five-mile backup during this morning’s commute on the Simi Valley Freeway, the California Highway Patrol said.
The 7:45 a.m. crash in the westbound lanes involving a flatbed truck and two cars backed traffic from the Mason Avenue overpass in Chatsworth to the San Diego Freeway interchange in Mission Hills, officers said.
The accident was still under investigation, but authorities said the fire started when the flatbed truck rear-ended a compact car and drove over the top of the back portion of it. The car and truck both caught fire and were heavily damaged. Because of damage from the impact, Larry Ortiz, 25, could not open a door of his car and had to climb through a window to escape the flames.
Sgt. Tony d’Ambrosio said a third car was slightly damaged when it was struck during the accident. The names of the other drivers were unavailable. No one was hospitalized, but the drivers suffered minor cuts and bruises, d’Ambrosio said.
The traffic tie-up lasted more than an hour while firefighters extinguished the blaze and the wreckage was cleared, officials said.
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