BUENA PARK : Truck Fire Halts Traffic on Freeway

A truck brimming with roofing materials tipped over and caught fire Tuesday morning on the Artesia Freeway, snarling traffic for more than six miles, but no injuries were reported.

The truck was eastbound on the freeway, west of Beach Boulevard at 10:55 a.m. when two rear tires blew out, said California Highway Patrol Officer Joan Rivas.

The truck swerved to the right when the first tire blew out, then to the left when the second tire blew out. Then it tipped over and caught fire.

The driver, 42-year-old Salvador Cabrera, escaped uninjured and no other accidents were caused by the overturned truck.

“It’s unusual that it didn’t hit anything,” Rivas said. Traffic was unusually light at the time, she said.

“Maybe people were paying attention to what was happening in front of them and were able to prevent themselves from running into each other,” she said.

Rivas said officers believe the truck was overloaded with roofing materials, causing the tires to blow out. No citations were issued but an investigation will be conducted.

Police closed down all lanes of the eastbound freeway while the truck and the debris were cleared from the road.

The lanes were reopened at 12:45 p.m. Rivas said.