Wednesday, July 11, 2007


Jul. 11, 2007 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) --
Traffic is moving smoothly at the site of a collision between a big rig and car that crushed a median, spilled diesel fuel and blocked lanes for several hours early today, the Highway Patrol said.

The 2:40 a.m. crash was first reported as at least two vehicles, including an empty big rig, on fire in the middle lanes of Interstate 680 just south of Concord Avenue. A witness told the CHP that several people ran over to one vehicle's driver and began hitting him.

Arriving officers determined the big rig crossed the highway's center divide, blocking at least the left-hand No. 1 southbound lane and all northbound lanes, before its engine caught fire and the trailer became fully engulfed.

A Sig-alert was issued shortly after 3 a.m. Traffic was diverted off the highway's northbound Concord Avenue offramp.

A Caltrans scraper and sweeper was summoned to clean up concrete chunks knocked into northbound lanes and remove two 20-foot sections of damaged metal railing.

Absorbant was also sprayed to clean up spilled diesel fuel that caught fire and pooled in a nearby gutter before Contra Costa Fire Protection District firefighters extinguished it. No hazardous-materials issues were reported.

Northbound I-680's right-hand lanes reopened just before 3:45 a.m. Moments later, the big rig fire was put out.

All southbound I-680 lanes reopened at 5:55 a.m. and northbound lanes followed 10 minutes later.

Concord police told the CHP that the driver of one vehicle, a silver Toyota, was taken to John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek. No word was immediately available on his condition.

Reach George Kelly at 925-952-5034 or  gkelly@cctimes.com.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0036-18063728


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