Tanker Crashes, Ignites; 1 Dies, Freeways Closed

A tanker truck overturned in Fullerton on Friday night, fatally injuring one person and spilling a load of fuel that ignited into a huge fireball visible for miles and forced the closure of two busy freeways.

The incident occurred at 8:57 p.m. when the tanker drove off the freeway embankment while making the transition from the northbound Santa Ana Freeway to the westbound Riverside Freeway, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Reeves said.

Police said there was one fatality at the scene, but no further details were available late Friday.

The driver of the truck was transported by helicopter to UCI Medical Center in Orange with second- and third-degree burns.

Fires from the fuel spill burned along a 150-foot stretch of the Santa Ana Freeway, forcing the CHP and Caltrans to close all lanes of the northbound Santa Ana and westbound Riverside freeways.

The CHP said the tanker was carrying 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 3,000 gallons of gasoline.

That resulted in massive traffic backups as northbound drivers were diverted at Brookhurst Street and westbound motorists were taken off the freeway at Magnolia Avenue.

Fire crews continued to battle the blazes for more than an hour after the crash. The Anaheim Fire Department sent a foam-spraying truck to the scene, said spokeswoman Robyn Butler, noting that foam is more effective than water in fighting oil fires.

The accident occurred in an area of heavy construction where lanes are narrower than normal.

The cause of the accident was not clear late Friday, officials said.