Big-rig crashes snarl freeways

A big rig that smashed into the center divider of the Foothill (210) Freeway on Tuesday afternoon snarled traffic on the eastbound lanes in La Crescenta, mimicking a similar crash on the 101 Freeway earlier Tuesday.

The big rig in the morning crash also slammed into the center divider and several vehicles on the Hollywood (101) Freeway, tying up the rush-hour commute for hours and backing traffic up into the Golden State (5) Freeway into Burbank and Glendale. Lanes reopened about 10 a.m.

No serious injuries were reported as of Tuesday evening in the 210 Freeway crash, which occurred about 3:15 p.m. near the Glendale (2) Freeway when the tractor-trailer ran into the center divider, officials said, causing several other vehicles to crash and blocking three eastbound lanes for about an hour, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Authorities began opening lanes about 4:45 p.m. as crews worked to remove the wreckage, but by then, traffic had already backed up through La Crescenta. Most of the scene was cleared before 6 p.m.