Truck Crash Causes Evacuation

The Ventura Fire Department evacuated residents and disconnected utility hookups Monday so firefighters could remove two flammable propane gas cylinders from beneath a delivery truck that had crashed on Harbor Boulevard, authorities said.

The accident occurred at 8:25 a.m. when delivery truck driver Hulon Simpson struck a parked car in the 3100 block of Harbor Boulevard, Battalion Chief Bill Rigg said.

Both the truck, which was carrying 16 gas cylinders used as fuel for forklifts, and the parked car flipped onto their roofs, Rigg said, trapping two leaking cylinders underneath the truck.

Paramedics treated Simpson at the scene before taking him to Ventura County Medical Center, which he left during treatment without being discharged. About 20 residents of nearby condominiums and apartments were evacuated, said Capt. Kevin Rennie. “Luckily, there weren’t too many people around,” Rennie said. “Most of them must have been at work.”

After the evacuation, gas and electrical hookups nearby were disconnected so the 10 firefighters could attempt to remove the cylinders, which they did after elevating the truck by pumping compressed air into bags beneath it, Rigg said.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes about 10:25 a.m., after the cylinders had been removed and the two wrecked vehicles were towed away, Rigg said.

Officials estimated damage to the truck, the parked car and the damaged cylinders at $45,000.

Simpson was not cited for the accident, Rennie said.