After fiery gas-truck crash, 710-91 freeway transition remains closed in Long Beach

An entrance to the 710 Freeway from the 91 Freeway in Long Beach remained closed this morning after Saturday’s fiery crash of a tanker truck carrying 8,000 gallons of gasoline.

Caltrans engineer are scheduled to do inspections of the transition road and complete repairs. Motorists were being detoured onto Long Beach and Alondra boulevards

The truck was leaving the eastbound 91 to merge to the northbound 710 [see map] at about 5:45 p.m. when it hit a guardrail, rolled onto its side and ignited, the California Highway Patrol said in a statement.

The 51-year-old driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene. His name has not been released.

 “The intensity of the fire was such that all that remained of the truck were its axles and small portions of the cab,” Jackawa Jackson of the Long Beach Fire Department said in a statement.

-- Shelby Grad

Comments

[Maggie]

I've always felt trucks and cars should not share the same road. It is a miracle only the driver was killed. Also, is there a safer way to transport gasoline? Could the driver have survived if the cargo had been better protected? Hopefully, transporting gasoline will soon become a thing of the past-- sun-powered cars, anyone?

[Fuel_TANKER]

Maggie,as a Fuel Tanker myself I can tell you that MOST tanker drivers are well trained drivers with years of experience,most people have not idea what is to drive a 9000 gallons of fuel in a city like Los Angeles where most people think you can stop 80,000 pounds truck just like their cars.If you feel insecure next to a tanker or any truck the answer it's really easy,commun sense will tell you to either let the truck go,change lanes ,speed up to a safe distance or DO NOT drive looking at the turn signal for miles while on the blind spot,We are professional drivers,not truckers,you can find many interstate trucks in accidents,broke down on the side of the road but not tankers.I feel really sad for the driver and his family,anyfuel tanker know the risk and the 90% chances of not surviving a rolling accident.I wasnt lucky enough to know the driver,but many of my friends did. please DRIVE SAFE,MAKE SURE YOU GO HOME EVERYDAY TO YOUR FAMILY!!