Saturday, August 16, 2008
Truck fire causes SigAlert on southbound 405 in Fountain Valley.
The SigAlert was lifted after eight hours on 405 in Fountain Valley after two-vehicle crashCar hits truck, sending it into guardrail and culvert, and catching on fire, officials say.
A SigAlert was lifted at 9:06 p.m. Saturday after being in effect for eight hours on the southbound I-405 just before the Magnolia off-ramp in Fountain Valley following a crash between a car and 18-wheeler truck that closed parts of the freeway and offramp for hours.
According to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Diana Murley, a Chevy Malibu struck the truck, causing it to hit the guardrails, fall into a culvert and burst into flames.
“The cab of the truck completely melted and burnt to the ground,” said Sgt Jim Kingsmill of Westminster Police Department, after returning from the scene. “The smoke was pretty thick and a bunch of pedestrians were going up to the bridge and covering their faces with their shirts.”
Both drivers sustained minor injuries, and the truck driver was taken to a nearby hospital, Murley said. The truck driver was able to escape the truck before it caught on fire, she said.
The truck jackknifed and damaged about 150 feet of guardrail, according to Murley. She added that the SigAlert was especially long because cleanup took a while.
-THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
First two (2) pictures by The Real OC, all others from the OC Register
If not, let it BURN!