A fiery crash involving a tanker truck and an SUV on the westbound 105 Freeway in Hawthorne Friday morning left two people dead and prompted closure of the freeway in both directions, authorities said.

Officers responded about 5:15 a.m. to the westbound freeway near Prairie Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Two people were killed in the crash, the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported. According to reports from the scene, both drivers were killed.

The tanker fire burned for more than an hour, and some fuel spilled onto the roadway shoulder, where firefighters dammed the flow so crews could clean up the spill.

Metro Green Line service was suspended between the Hawthorne/Lennox and Vermont/Athens stations due to the fire, Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo said, adding bus bridges were provided for rail passengers affected by the closure.

As of about 7:15 a.m., Metro crews were awaiting permission from first responders to enter the affected area and assess the damage to the rail system, Ubaldo said.