8-Vehicle Accident in Irvine Spills Beer, Injures 4, Backs Up Traffic

An eight-vehicle accident in which a beer truck overturned, spilling its load across the San Diego Freeway in Irvine, slowed traffic for more than five hours Wednesday, police said.

The 7 a.m. crash began in southbound lanes near Von Karman Avenue and caused a backup north to the Garden Grove Freeway and south to Interstate 5 in Lake Forest, California Highway Patrol Officer Katrina Lundgren said. Most traffic lanes in both directions were closed for the police investigation and cleanup of beer, broken glass, metal and concrete.

CHP Officer Joanne O’Hare gave this account of the incident: The driver of a Nissan Sentra veered to the left after a car cut in front of him. His car struck the beer truck, which slid sideways, hit a Ford Explorer and slammed through the concrete center divider. The truck landed in northbound freeway lanes, where it collided with two vans. The truck’s axle, grille and hood separated from the body and struck a Nissan Maxima and an Acura Legend. The Explorer flipped over the center divider, landed on its wheels and struck a Ford minivan.

Four people, including the truck driver, were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals and released, O’Hare said.