The driver of a semi-tanker is dead after the vehicle overturned this morning on the southbound 710 Freeway at Willow Street in Long Beach, authorities said.
Officials say the crash was reported around 4:30 a.m.
The driver was handling a 9,000-gallon tanker of crude oil and exiting the freeway when the truck overturned, authorities said. Police said he took the eastbound exit off Willow Street when, for undetermined reasons, he went off the road and crashed into a tree.
The driver, 43-year-old Juan Castrejon Genel of Bakersfield, was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Hazmat teams were also requested after authorities realized there was an oil leak coming from the truck, authorities said, adding that the leak was contained to a dirt area off the freeway.
The ramp will reopen when crews have finished cleaning up the tar-like substance left from the spill.