Truck driver killed in fiery Long Beach crash

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From the Associated Press:

LONG BEACH -- A tanker truck hauling 8,000 gallons of ethanol crashed on a highway, exploding into an inferno that sent a river of flame into storm drains, officials said. The driver was killed.
The truck crashed around 6 p.m. Saturday when it hit the side rail of eastbound State Route 91 at the transition to Interstate 710, the Long Beach Fire Department said in a statement.
The driver's name was not immediately released.
Witnesses said the heat was so intense it melted guardrails and all that remained of the truck were its axles and small portions of the cab.
A stream of fire flowed from the tanker into a storm drain, causing plumes of flame to spew 20 feet in the air from other storm drains.
The large quantity of ethanol in the truck fueled a huge fireball that enveloped the overpasses, Long Beach Fire Department Capt. Jackawa Jackson said. Firefighters snuffed the flames with foam, he said.
Officials worried the fire may have weakened the elevated stretch of road, the fire department said.
The cause of the crash was under investigation and the roadway remained closed while inspectors examined it.

1 Comments

Julia said:

Main God be with this family.My husband to drives a tanker.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Frank Girardot
Frank Girardot, Metro Editor for the San Gabriel Valley Newspapers, brings you behind the yellow tape with takes on true crime, cold cases and more. This is also your forum to discuss crime, its impact on your neighborhood and how we cover it. Have any questions or tips? You can leave a comment here or e-mail Frank.

Brian Day
Brian Day is the crime reporter for the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper group.
E-mail Brian.

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Brian Day published on June 14, 2009 1:09 PM.

DUI suspected after man crashes into Pasadena police car was the previous entry in this blog.

Officials: Fire at La Puente motel appears suspicious is the next entry in this blog.

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Julia on Truck driver killed in fiery Long Beach crash: Main God be with this family.My husband to drives a tanker. ...

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