Tanker-Truck Wreck Closes Freeway Lane
A lane on the Riverside Freeway was closed for about 45 minutes Thursday after a tanker truck hauling about 16,000 gallons of airplane fuel crashed during rush-hour traffic, the California Highway Patrol said.
There were no fuel leaks or major injuries in the 8:10 a.m. accident, which also involved a tractor-trailer and a van, said CHP Officer Lyle Whitten.
The van was coming to a stop in heavy traffic in an eastbound lane of the freeway when it was rear-ended by the tractor-trailer rig. The tractor-trailer was then struck from behind by the 80,000-pound tanker truck, Whitten said.
CHP officers were forced to close down a lane of the freeway west of Knott Avenue for about 45 minutes so the van and the tanker truck could be hauled from the scene. The tanker’s radiator was damaged and the van had extensive rear-end damage.
“It looks like the two trucks were at fault,” Whitten said. “Both were going a little too fast for traffic conditions. They were obviously following too closely and couldn’t stop in time.”
The two trucks were traveling at about 55 m.p.h., Whitten said.
No citations were issued pending further investigation.
An unidentified 25-year-old woman riding in the van suffered a cut right hand in the accident, but she refused medical treatment, Whitten said.
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