LOS ANGELES – One person was killed and two others injured in the rollover crash of a tanker truck on the northbound Harbor (110) Freeway at Manchester Boulevard that spilled 500 to 1,000 gallons of aviation fuel onto the roadway, the Los Angeles Fire Department said Sunday.
The crash was reported at 10:55 p.m. Saturday and responding personnel found one person dead under the tanker truck, LAFD spokeswoman Margaret Stewart said.
She added that the driver of the tanker was reportedly transported to the hospital by private vehicle and had no contact with LAFD responders. Paramedics transported a 30-year-old woman to a hospital with minor injuries.
Firefighters used a redwood plug to stop a leak in the tanker, where an estimated 8,000 gallons of aviation fuel remained, Stewart said.
LAFD crews assisted CalTrans with laying down an absorbent to contain the fuel hazard, authorities said.
Firefighters drilled four holes into the tanker to give access for the fuel offload operation, which was conducted by the owner of the truck company.
Private wreckers were at the scene to upright the tank trailer and prepare it for removal. Firefighters will extricate the victim and assist the L.A. County Medical Examiner’s office with recovering the body.
The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert for the northbound 110 at Manchester for an unknown duration and motorists were advised to seek alternate routes for the north and southbound lanes between Slauson and Rosecrans avenues while the cleanup effort continues.
