605 Freeway SigAlert: El Monte Big Rig Pileup Involves Oil Tanker

LOS ANGELES, CA —A four-vehicle pileup involving a gas tanker and a big rig shut down the northbound San Gabriel (605) Freeway in the El Monte area Thursday afternoon.

The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert for the freeway shortly after noon Thursday. All lanes except for the carpool lane were blocked, and the SigAlert was expected to last for at least an hour, according to CHP Officer Ramondo Alexander.

"Officers are on the scene," Alexander said. "This Sigalert definitely could be issued again for a longer ETA depending on what actually spilled in lanes."

Witnesses reported the crash shortly after 11:30 a.m. just south of Valley Boulevard, telling dispatchers that one person appeared to be trapped in the wreckage.

The crash backed up traffic for miles, and commuters are advised to avoid the area.

THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY. PLEASE REFRESH THE SCREEN FOR UPDATES.