Huge Truck Crash and Tunnel Fire in Los Angeles

At some of the major interchanges on Los Angeles' many freeways there are separate truck routes to make the transitions from one freeway to another easier for the truckers and to keep the trucks and cars from having to make multiple lane changes in a short distance. It's a good idea and helps the flow of traffic, but every now and then something goes really wrong:

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — Five flaming big rigs combined to create a huge blaze inside a tunnel after a 15-truck pileup on the rain-slicked Golden State Freeway in northern Los Angeles County that left 10 people injured and at least one missing, authorities said.

Fire Inspector Jason Hurd said the accident — the wreckage of which stretched for half a mile — began when two trucks collided late Friday and started a chain reaction in Interstate 5's southbound truck-only tunnels that run under the regular freeway near the intersection with the Antelope Valley Freeway.

Twenty people evacuated the fiery tunnel on foot, including the 10 injured, Hurd said. One truck driver unaccounted for, and authorities worried more may be missing.

"We're going to have to do a very methodical search," Deputy Chief John Tripp told KABC-TV. "There could be unfortunately more people that were not able to escape."

Authorities said eight had minor injuries and two had moderate injuries, ranging from moderate burns to neck and back injuries. All 10 injured were taken to local hospitals.

Smoke poured out of both sides of the tunnel through the night. The majority of the flames had been doused by about 5 a.m., but firefighters had to stay out of the tunnel because of fears that fire damage could lead to its collapse.

"The tunnel may be structurally compromised, so we're fighting the fire from outside right now, Tripp said.

The freeway was expected to be closed all day Saturday, authorities said.

I know that tunnel really well. Back when I was driving a quartet bus along that route fairly regularly I would use that tunnel along with the trucks to make the trip down the I-5 a little easier. It's always been a dangerous spot if traffic suddenly backs up. You're going down a pretty steep hill and heading into the tunnel which has blind curves. I remember commenting to my guys one time as we headed down there "I sure hope traffic isn't stopped up ahead because we'll never get slowed down in time".

One night many years ago we were coming through those tunnels and sure enough, traffic was suddenly stopped. We managed to stop in time with much tire and brake smoke and thankfully nobody hit us, but just on the other side of the tunnel was a burning motorhome.

Add a little rain to the situation, as we had last night, and that road is really treacherous. We haven't had rain for a couple of weeks, and not much at that, and all the oil, grease and other crud that has built up on the freeway creates a wet surface that almost hard to stand on, let alone drive on. We're supposed to go up that way tomorrow, but may have to rethink it if the freeway and those tunnels are still shut down.

UPDATE 11:00 am: One possible fatality All lanes north and southbound still closed. Northbound I-5 could be closed indefinately depending on the damage to the tunnel which runs underneath the northbound lanes. Southbound traffic is being diverted west on 126 to Ventura and then back on 101 to Los Angeles, which probably adds at least 75 miles to the trip and will certainly gum up the already busy 101. Boy, is that going to screw up L.A. traffic.

UPDATE 2:00 pm Two confirmed fatalities. Freeway still closed and fire department not sure when they can get into the tunnel to clean up the mess. There are signs of concrete spalding, a condition in which concrete explodes due to excessive heat and pieces can fall unexpectedly, creating a hazard to firefighters and questions about the stability of the whole structure. No word yet on how long the freeway will be closed.

This is one of the most critical interchanges in all of Southern California because if it's closed, there's no easy way around it. The alternatives are detours of 60-80 miles on roads not designed to handle that kind of traffic. Back in 1994 the overpass from the south 14 to the south I-5 collapsed in the Northridge earthquake and an LAPD motorcycle officer drove off of it in the darkness and was killed. The interchange is now named after him.

Parts of that interchange were closed for weeks while they cleanup up and rebuilt the bridge. I can remember one Friday night in March of that year trying to get home from a concert in Bakersfield and sitting in traffic for a couple of hours because of the detours onto the old road which runs through the area.

I sure hope that thing is open by next Saturday. I'm leaving early that morning for Northern California and I'd hate to have to make on of those detours.

UPDATE 10pm: Now 3 dead. Caltrans doesn't expect to have to entire freeway open again until Tuesday morning. Fire crews are now working their way 10 feet at a time into the 550 foot tunnel removing debris, looking for additional victims, and checking the tunnel's structural integrity. Much of what was in the tunnel was exposed to temperatures as high as 2000 degrees for as much as four hours. Large 18 wheel trucks have been reduced to hardened puddles of aluminum and steel.

Needless to say, I've cancelled my planned trip up that way for tomorrow. Traffic is bad enough on a normal day, but close that freeway in that location and everything within miles will be locked up.

UPDATE 10/14 9pm: Most Southbound lanes will reopen Monday morning, and northbound is being sent up the two-lane truck route that narrows to one lane where it merges back onto the I-5. No word yet on when the northbound lanes will reopen. More info here.

The death toll will stop at 3, including a father and son who were bringing a load of cantaloupes into Los Angeles. A total of 31 vehicles were involved in the 1/2 mile long collision. It could have been so much worse.

UPDATE 10/15 5am: All lanes northbound and southbound, except the southbound truck tunnel, have reopened. Expect some delays southbound because trucks will have to use the regular lanes, but that's pretty good news for L.A. commuters.