Freeway mess causes SigAlert on the 210 Freeway in Sylmar CA
Early this morning, the entire westbound side of the 210 Foothill Freeway in Sylmar at Yarnell Street was shut down. Early Tuesday morning, a tanker truck carrying hot tar overturned and spilled, causing an unusual and messy situation- hot tar oozed out of the taker all across the freeway. The freeway truck accident created a leak in the tanker.
Just before midnight on Monday, local firefighters and the California Highway Patrol arrived on the scene of the major freeway just east of the 5 Golden State Freeway, to find a freeway accident involving the truck. The driver of the truck was still inside the overturned vehicle. He was not trapped inside the vehicle, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.
"It started at 160 degrees, as it's cooling, it's getting harder," California Highway Patrol Sgt. Wallace told a CBS camera. According to the traffic accident investigator, CalTrans used steam to clean the hot sticky tar off the pavement.
Firefighters helped the driver out of the cab. He was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. There is suspicion, according to witnesses, that the driver who caused the solo car collision was weaving prior to the crash. TV reporters caught the driver disputing those allegations, however.
The hot messy tar spread to the area of Foothill Boulevard and Filbert Street. Residents and local traffic is still being detoured around the roadway hazard caused by the traffic accident.
The CHP immediately issued a SigAlert for westbound lanes of the Foothill Freeway, west of Yarnell Street. Freeway traffic is being diverted off the freeway at Yarnell Street. There is no word yet as to when the freeway will re-open.
Attorney Catherine Lombardo has been a trail litigator for over 26 years, and often reports of civil legal matters involving a truck accident, freeway car accident, mass tort litigation, shootings, and wrongful death. The Lombardo Law Office is located in Claremont, California and can be reached at (909)482-0384
