Explosive Series Of Events Shuts Down 710 Freeway Overnight

COMMERCE, CA — The northbound Long Beach (710) Freeway was shut down for hours in Commerce Friday morning after an explosive series of events that started with a semi-crash and ended with a craw clean-up crew vehicle erupting in flames after running over a flare.

The fiery crash triggered an oil spill across several lanes of the freeway. The cleanup effort was further complicated when the street sweeper called in to clean up the mess also caught fire, sending the driver to the hospital with injuries, Fox 11 reported.

The crash occurred shortly before midnight at Bandini Boulevard where a semi-truck collided with a black sedan and a black Ford Mustang, according to the California Highway Patrol. The truck burst into flames and spilled oil into the northbound lanes of the roadway.

All lanes except the No. 1 lane of the northbound 710 Freeway were closed while crews worked to clear the scene. The remaining northbound lanes were reopened about 7:30 a.m., according to the CHP.

The danger to the street sweeper was not entirely unexpected, CBS Los Angeles reported. Caltrans confirmed that the diesel-fueled street sweepers were banned by air quality control officials last year, prompting the state agency to switch to natural gas vehicles, which can be explosive, CBS reported.

CHP officers removed commuters from their vehicles near the accident scene due to the potential for an explosion as the street sweeper moved in. Broadcast footage from the scene showed the vehicle engulfed in flames as traffic on both sides of the freeway remained backed up for miles overnight.

City News Service contributed to this report.