A Toyota Yaris somehow ended up under a fuel tanker on the 55 freeway Wednesday afternoon. A man, a passenger, was injured. COURTESY OF THE ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY BY LOUIS CASIANO JR. / STAFF WRITER
A man was injured on the 55 freeway in Costa Mesa on Wednesday, after the car he was a passenger in became trapped under a fuel tanker truck, authorities said.
Firefighters with the Orange County Fire Authority were sent at 1:30 p.m. to the northbound lanes of the 55 at MacArthur Boulevard, where part of a Toyota Yaris was trapped under the truck, OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said.
The hood of the car somehow became trapped under the diesel tanker, prompting hazmat crews to also respond. A heavy-duty tow truck lifted the truck off the car, and another tow truck removed the car from the road.
The man was taken to the Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana with minor injuries, Concialdi said.
It was not clear Wednesday what led to the collision, but a woman told California Highway Patrol officers that her boyfriend grabbed the steering wheel and swerved into the truck during a paranoid episode, according to CHP traffic logs.
Calls to the CHP were not immediately returned.
A Sigalert was issued at 1:45 p.m. and canceled at 5 p.m.