The southbound carpool and No. 1 lanes, as well as the northbound carpool lane of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway have re-opened after a car crash involving a tanker trunk Tuesday night caused the freeway to be closed all night and into the morning, authorities said.
The collision occurred near the Carson Street exit of the 605 Freeway in Lakewood around 9:45PM, when a big rig collided with an SUV entering the southbound lanes from Carson Street, according to California Highway Patrol officer Francisco Villalobos.
All traffic was being diverted at Carson Street and all southbound lanes and the northbound carpool lane were closed near that location, Villalobos said.
Because of the location of the collision on the border of Lakewood and Long Beach, multiple agencies were called in for a unified command, said Long Beach Fire Department (LBFD) spokesperson Jake Heflin.
A Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman said that 3,500 gallons of the 8,800 gallons of fuel the tanker was transporting spilled from the road as a result of the crash. The remaining 5,300 gallons were pumped from the big rig.
Some of the fuel had gotten into Caltrans storm drains that parallel the freeway and spilled onto Wardlow, Spring and Katella streets, Heflin said.
LA County and Long Beach firefighters used roadside soil and sand to build berms to stop the spread of fuel.
The northbound carpool lane reopened just before 5:45 a.m. today, and the southbound carpool and No. 1 lanes were cleared about 8:40 a.m., according to the CHP.
There was no immediate word yet on when the remaining southbound lanes would be reopened.
Heflin said the driver of the SUV was transported by LA County Fire paramedics to a hospital in unknown condition.
City News Service contributed to this report.