BIG RIG STARTS
LEAKING GAS AFTER COLLIDING WITH POWER POLE IN VAN NUYS, CREATING
‘SAFETY ISSUE’
Posted 8:16 AM, January 15, 2015
A stretch of Van Nuys Boulevard was shut down in both
directions in the San Fernando Valley Thursday morning after a big rig crashed
into a power pole near a building, creating a “safety issue,” authorities said.
The collision occurred just before 7:45 a.m. at the
intersection of Van Nuys Boulevard and Hamlin Street in Van Nuys when the
semi-truck hit an SUV after it turned in front of the big rig, according to the
Los Angeles Police Department’s Valley Traffic Division.
The impact caused the truck to lose control and plow
into a power pole before it came to a rest near a large commercial structure.
The SUV was stopped in the middle of the closed roadway, aerial video over the
scene showed.
The downed power pole had exposed wires, and the
semi-truck was leaking gas, according to police.
It was not immediately clear what the big rig was
carrying.
Minor injuries were reported, but it was unknown how
many were hurt and whether anyone was taken to a hospital. Paramedics were at
the scene, but a stretcher next to the building was empty, video showed.
Police did not give an estimate as to how long the
closure would last, but said the intersection would remain closed until the scene
was cleaned up.