1 Dies, 7 Hurt in Crash With Burning Truck

One person died and seven were injured in a rush-hour crash on Interstate 5 that closed part of the highway for most of Friday.

About 8 a.m., a southbound tractor-trailer and a passenger car collided, causing the truck driver to lose control. The truck crossed a concrete median, hitting several cars and another big-rig and catching on fire, the California Highway Patrol said.

The median ruptured the truck’s gas tank. The truck burned down to its wheels, sending up a thick plume of smoke that could be seen throughout the Sacramento area.

In all, debris from the median and the crash damaged 14 vehicles.

CHP Lt. Chuck Chellew said the crash could have been worse because of the busy rush hour.

“The potential for injury and death far beyond this was really high. It’s unfortunate what happened, but we’re really lucky it wasn’t worse,” he said.

The identity of the victim, who was driving a sports car, has not been released. The other injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Residents in south Sacramento were advised to close their windows because of possibly dangerous smoke from the fire. Later, it was determined that the flaming truck was carrying wooden cabinets, not toxic materials, Chellew said.

The northbound lanes of I-5 were closed until midafternoon.

Michael Via said he was on northbound I-5 when he saw the big-rig sliding sideways toward him.

“My partner started screaming and hollering, ‘Slow down!’ I saw the truck coming in our direction going sideways, smoke billowing out of both sides. It was already on fire,” he said.

The truck came to a stop when it bumped a small, white vehicle, Via said.

The driver of that car was stopped when the truck struck it. She leaped out, and about 30 seconds later, the truck driver escaped from the big-rig, Via said.