SigAlert: Fuel Spill Shuts Down 405 Freeway

LOS ANGELES, CA — A box truck crashed over the side of the San Diego (405) Freeway Tuesday afternoon, spilling fuel into the roadway and shutting down several lanes of southbound traffic in the San Fernando Valley.

All southbound lanes were closed near Victory Boulevard, and only the carpool lane had reopened as of 2:20 p.m., said California Highway Patrol Officer Chris Baldonado.

The truck driver was trapped in the wreckage of the crash for 30 minutes and rushed to a nearby trauma center.

"LAFD Firefighters worked swiftly to assure the less than 20 gallons of fuel spilled on the hillside from a tank on the overturned truck, did not ignite or enter a storm drain, as their LAFD colleagues skillfully used hand and power tools to safely extricate the seriously injured adult male driver from his overturned box truck (undetermined cargo) that tumbled over-the-side and off the freeway," said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey. "The man, trapped nearly 30 minutes in the wreckage, has been transported in undetermined condition to a regional trauma center by LAFD Paramedics."

The crash was reported at about 1:30 p.m. just south of Victory Boulevard, according to the CHP. It wasn't immediately clear when all lanes would be reopened. Drivers were advised to avoid the area. A SigAlert was issued at 2:30 p.m.

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