Insecticide From Crash Shuts Lanes

A northbound portion of the Costa Mesa Freeway was closed for more than three hours late Monday morning when a white Chevrolet pickup loaded with insecticide crashed, rolled over a dozen times and burst into flames.

Five cars were involved in the crash too, and three people suffered “very minor injuries,” said Kirk Summers, a spokesman with the Orange County Fire Authority. Treated at the scene were the truck’s driver, his passenger and another driver, who was involved in a fender-bender that was part of the incident.

The truck--owned by Lloyd Pest Control, which has offices throughout Southern California--spewed black smoke. The pesticides included sulfuryl fluoride, which kills termites, and bifenthrin, which kills fire ants, among other insects. Summers said the bifenthrin “is considered a low-level insecticide.”

Authorities closed onramps at McFadden Avenue and in the vicinity. The southbound portion of the freeway slowed to a near-halt but was not closed.

An Orange County Fire Authority hazardous-material team treated the scene with the help of a private company that specializes in cleaning up insecticide messes. Cleanup crews used a sand-like material to absorb the insecticides so the chemicals could be vacuumed or swept away.

California Highway Patrol officials considered evacuating an apartment complex nearby, but did not because “the insecticides were diluted” and didn’t pose a danger to humans, said Katrina Lundgren, a spokeswoman for the CHP.

The pesticides, officials said, didn’t pose a threat because the truck fire was not hot enough to ignite them and cause harmful fumes.

CHP officials said the accident happened because the driver lost control of his truck. He has not been ticketed but the investigation was continuing.

Scott Crowly, technical director for Lloyd Pest Control, said it is “extremely rare for us to see traffic accidents with our trucks.” He added: “Our company has made a decision to use products that have extremely low hazard levels. I mean, we are on the road all the time.”