Man hospitalized after spilling chemical on himself
Jackson Bell
A 63-year-old Lakeview Terrace man who spilled a hazardous chemical
on himself was hospitalized after being decontaminated by Burbank
firefighters on the side of the freeway, authorities said.
The unidentified man was driving southbound on the Golden State
(5) Freeway in Sun Valley about 10 a.m. Wednesday when he stopped to
remove a container in the far right lane, Burbank Fire Capt. Ron Bell
said.
Inside the container was chloropicrin, which is used for household
fumigation, Bell said. The man apparently spilled some of it on his
hand, rubbed his eyes and began feeling ill.
“Apparently, he was trying to move the container from the
freeway,” Fire Capt. Frank Walbert said. “But we’re not sure why.”
The man called for help using an emergency call box near the Buena
Vista Street exit. Three fire engines, an ambulance and the
department’s hazardous rescue team responded, Walbert said.
As a precaution, the man’s clothes were removed and firefighters
sprayed him with water.
The man was taken to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center as a
precaution.