Fiery Truck Crash Kills 2 in Orange County

A fiery tanker truck crash on one of Orange County’s busiest freeway interchanges killed two drivers, raising concerns about the safety of highway construction zones.

The truck rig was carrying 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel and gasoline when it toppled over late Friday as it was entering the freeway. It landed on the driver of a Ford Crown Victoria sedan traveling north on the freeway, with the impact causing an explosion that could be seen for miles.

The driver of the Ford died at the scene; the truck driver died Saturday. Authorities have not released their names. A friend of the Ford driver said the man is survived by a wife and 3-year-old daughter.

The Santa Ana Freeway was closed for much of Saturday as authorities studied the accident scene.

California Highway Patrol officers believe the 44-year-old truck driver was speeding when he drove from the westbound Riverside Freeway onto the northbound Santa Ana Freeway, CHP investigator Garry Goldenberg said. The truck driver suffered burns over 98% of his body.

The flames melted the tanker truck into a pile of charred, black debris and cracked the freeway pavement, forcing Caltrans to bring a crew in to resurface the damaged section.

The interchange is undergoing reconstruction as part of a billion-dollar freeway widening project. Detours require drivers to contend with sharp curves, narrow lanes and confusing signs.

Caltrans officials said Saturday that they recently installed more signs at the interchange after receiving complaints from confused motorists.

“It’s difficult to determine which lane you need to be in,” said Caltrans spokeswoman Rose Orem. “You have last-minute lane changes that could put motorists in harm’s way.”

Some drivers say the junction is still confounding and dangerous.

“It is scary over there,” said Phillip Tez, a 27-year-old mechanic from Buena Park. “The lanes are too close.”

Rita Iskenderian of Glendale, a friend of the Ford driver who died, said the man had emigrated from Armenia and had been helping run a restaurant.

At the accident site Saturday, thousands of frustrated motorists clogged nearby surface streets in an effort to get around the closure on the key Orange County junction.