3-vehicle crash causes box truck to overturn, block 4 lanes of southbound 5 near 91 freeway
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters and Caltrans crews seal off a leaking fuel line after a truck overturned during a 3-vehicle crash Tuesday on the southbound I-5 freeway in Buena Park.KEN STEINHARDT, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
BY ALYSSA DURANTY / STAFF WRITER
Aug. 25, 2015
Updated 2:32 p.m
A driver of a medium-sized box truck crashed around 11 a.m. Tuesday, causing the four right lanes to be blocked for an unknown time.
California Highway Patrol officials suspect two box trucks and a black Ford Explorer crashed, causing one of the trucks to overturn, but details on how the incident occurred were not immediately known.
The overturned box truck was laying across the four right-hand lanes when CHP officials issued a SigAlert at 11:10 a.m., CHP Officer Jon Latosquin said.
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters responded and found fuel was leaking onto the roadway, OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said.
Fire officials were able to stop and contain the leak with the help of Caltrans workers, who arrived at 11:30 a.m.
OCFA paramedics took one person to Orange County Global Medical Center in Santa Ana with minor injuries.
CHP, Caltrans and OCFA officials helped unload 96 boxes of frozen shumai, or Asian-style dumplings, from the back truck to the freeway shoulder after the crash.
Authorities planned to reload the boxes into the truck once it was placed back on its wheels.
CHP Officer Jose Perdomo said the food might spoil on the freeway due to the heat.
The carpool and two adjacent left lanes were open, but traffic was beginning to back up around 11:40 a.m.
Officials have asked drivers to avoid the area until at least 2 p.m. Tuesday.