Fuel Spill Causes Accidents, Tie-Up
A 60-gallon fuel spill on the Santa Ana Freeway caused three minor accidents and a major traffic jam for Monday morning commuters, officials said.
The spill occurred about 5 a.m. when a semitrailer truck hit a box spring in the northbound lane just south of Brookhurst Street. The box spring pierced one of the truck’s fuel tanks, sending diesel fuel onto the road, said Bonnie Blatt, a California Highway Patrol spokeswoman.
Three collisions involving six cars had been reported by the time CHP officers arrived. Drivers spun out in trying to navigate the patch of fuel, and the drivers suffered minor injuries, Blatt said. Half a dozen tow trucks were called.
“Something as simple as a mattress caused some real chaos out there,” Blatt said.
The freeway was closed for three hours while workers cleaned up the spill. Drivers were briefly directed off the freeway onto Brookhurst Street, where they used the northbound ramp and returned to the highway just past the spill, Blatt said.
The 2-mile-long traffic backup persisted more than an hour after the freeway reopened.
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