Semi Spills Boatload Of Diesel Into San Clemente Storm Drain

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — The northbound freeway into San Clemente was closed through Monday morning rush hour following a big rig crash that caused a SIG alert overnight. Cleanup efforts were underway until 11:30 a.m. for the damaged guardrail and large quantity of diesel spillage that flooded into a San Clemente storm drain.

Two northbound lanes of the San Diego (5) Freeway in San Clemente were closed while workers cleaned up and from an overturned big rig loaded with 70,000 pounds of peppers and tomatoes, authorities said.

The semi truck was in the no. 3 and 4 lanes shut down just south of the Avenida Pico on-ramp while Caltrans workers repaired 60-80 ft. of damaged guard rail and the clean up of a diesel spill, including about 20 gallons down a storm drain, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Avenida Palizada, both eastbound and westbound was also closed at the 5 Freeway on-ramp for the cleanup efforts, also until 9 a.m.

The wreckage caused traffic nightmares on the 15 northbound and the 91 westbound. On Monday morning the SigAlert did not break until 11:30 a.m. according to CHP.

The truck overturned at just before 9 p.m. Sunday, the CHP said. Reports stated that the truck clipped the guardrail before it turned over and one witness said smoke was coming from the tires prior to the rollover. According to reports from CHP, one of the fuel saddle tanks was punctured during the collision. The semi "began leaking diesel fuel onto the paved right shoulder and into a storm drain approximately 200 yards north of the overturned vehicle," CHP Sgt. Koelher said.

Responding units were able to dike the remaining fuel from continuing to flow, however an unknown amount of the diesel did enter the storm drain.

Orange County Fire Authority Hazmat firefighters used an "absorbent" to pick up as much of the spilled diesel as possible from the roadway, said OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi. The driver was not injured in the crash.

The Orange County Health and Public Works departments and the U.S. Coast Guard were contacted in the aftermath of the spill, the CHP said. Ocean Blue responded for the related cleanup of the diesel fuel.

The SigAlert was first issued at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday for lanes No. 3 and 4, the CHP said.