A fatal incident occurred on the 110 Freeway in South L.A. leading to the death of one person and injuries to two others. The collision involved a fuel tanker and took place between Manchester Avenue and Century Boulevard on the northbound side of the 110 Freeway just before 10 p.m. on Saturday.
The resulting crash resulted in approximately 100 gallons of jet fuel leaking onto the roadway from the fuel tanker, which collided with two other vehicles. The tanker truck ended up resting atop a black sedan.
An eye-witness to the crash perceived the tanker truck swerving suddenly towards the left while he was driving. However, the details of the incident are not fully clear, including whether the tanker truck might have been hit by another vehicle causing it to swerve.
The person who died was the driver of the sedan that was crushed under the tanker truck. The injured parties, a 30-year-old female and a 45-year-old male, sustained minor injuries. After the tanker driver survived the collision, another individual transported him to a hospital
Fire officials described the fuel spill situation as static a few hours post-crash, as the main leak was mainly contained. Nevertheless, smaller leaks and the fuels flammability continued to present a challenge. Consequently, the firefighters took no chances, implementing full protective equipment, oxygen, and had a hose line prepared for potential ignition.
The 110 Freeway was closed between Manchester Avenue and Century Boulevard during the cleanup. The southbound lanes reopened at 7 a.m. on Sunday. Meanwhile, the connector ramps to the 105 Freeway were also suspended post-crash.
As the cleanup progressed, the truck remained overturned on the freeway. The crew eventually managed to empty the truck of remaining fuel allowing for the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to initiate a death investigation. At approximately 10 a.m. the truck was righted and the northbound stretch of the 110 Freeway, impacted by the accident, reopened shortly after 12:20 p.m. on Sunday, ending a closure lasting over 14 hours. The actual cause of the crash is yet to be determined.
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