A fiery freeway disaster unfolded on the 57 Freeway in Orange County as a big rig crashed and burst into flames after barreling through the center divider on Monday morning. The chaos began just after 8 a.m. near the Imperial Highway in the Fullerton/Brea area, with the truck plowing into the southbound lanes and igniting a blaze, KTLA reports.
The truck was heading northbound when it suddenly crashed into the divider causing the driver to lose control. The California Highway Patrol stated multiple vehicles were involved, with at least four caught up in the aftermath, as reported by KTLA. Flames erupted as fuel from the overturned big rig ignited, and the southbound side was effectively shut down, as captured by aerial footage from AIR7 HD. Three lanes on the northbound side were also forced to close as emergency crews swarmed the scene.
A count by the CHP showed that up to five vehicles might have been hit in the collision. The extent of the disruption led officials to a complete closure of all southbound lanes, while two northbound lanes were also sealed off to traffic. The duration of these closures remained uncertain as authorities worked tirelessly to clear the carnage and investigate the scene. There was no immediate report of injuries or what might have led the big rig to crash.
Motorists were advised to avoid the area as the freeway transformed into a no-go zone, with the crawl of traffic visible for miles. Detours quickly became congested as drivers sought to somehow navigate around the gridlocked routes. The incident has triggered a detailed review by the California Highway Patrol, eager to uncover the chain of events that led a routine morning drive to erupt into an inferno. Despite the ferocity of the flames, details regarding potential casualties or the condition of those involved were not available.
