LONG BEACH (CNS) - A big rig carrying a large carnival ride was struck by a vehicle and overturned this morning on the southbound San Gabriel River (605) Freeway in Long Beach and prompted the closure of the southbound lanes of the freeway near the accident site for hours.
The accident occurred near the Willow Street offramp about 1:10 a.m. when a Toyota Corolla crashed into the big rig, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“As a result of the collision, the big rig overturned and impacted the guardrail, which caused the engine to become dislodged from the engine compartment of the big rig,” CHP Sgt. Anthony Soriano told reporters at the scene. “A BMW was traveling in the No. 2 or 3 lane and impacted the engine that was in the roadway.
The drivers of both cars were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the CHP reported. The big rig driver was not hurt.
An Orange County Fire Authority official told a news photographer at the scene a hazardous materials team was brought in to clean up spilled gasoline and oil and the freeway would be closed until the cleanup was complete. The accident site was near the Long Beach/Los Alamitos border, prompting an OCFA response.
The southbound freeway lanes were closed, and traffic was taken off the freeway at Carson Street, snarling traffic during the morning commute. Four southbound freeway lanes were reopened about 9 a.m., but the slow lane remained blocked while crews worked to clear the scene.
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