California IN BRIEF : SELMA : Toxic Spill Forces Closure of Freeway

Travelers had to use an old road to get around a stretch of the California 99 freeway that remained closed while specialists cleaned up toxic chemicals spilled in a fiery pileup. Traffic in the Selma area was diverted to Golden State Highway--the original California 99 before the freeway was built down the San Joaquin Valley. To avoid danger to its 275 students, nearby Washington Elementary School was temporarily shut. A cleanup crew in protective clothing was removing chemicals spewed from two truck trailer-rigs that collided, killing both drivers. Officials were unsure what chemicals were in the rigs, but said at least one was an acid.