Early Monday morning, travelers on the eastbound 10 Freeway in Baldwin Park were met with significant delays, after a big rig hauling onions toppled across the roadway. The accident, which occurred just before the break of dawn near Frazier Street, resulted in a shutdown of eastbound lanes and the northbound 605 Freeway transition, according to ABC7.
A report by KTLA revealed a white four-door sedan was also involved in the incident, suffering considerable damage upon colliding with the trailer of the big rig. Traffic was expected to ease by 5:30 a.m., but crews worked past that time to offload and transfer the spilled onions onto another truck. Residual delays ensured that frustrations among motorists simmered as morning commutes were disrupted.
The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert, an indication of the seriousness of the traffic impact. Only two lanes were reopened by 6 a.m., much to the dismay of drivers who anticipated a quicker resolution. Crews toiled to remove not just the vehicle but its pungent cargo, footage from NBC Los Angeles detailed the complex cleanup underway.
Alternative routes were suggested to aid the stymied drivers. Valley Boulevard, Ramona Boulevard, and the options of the 60 and 210 freeways were given as possible detours to forgo, the bottleneck resulting from the incident. While the full extent of injuries – if any – has not been disclosed, CBS Los Angeles also reported on the effect of the accident on the start of the week's travels. It remains critical for those hitting the road to stay informed on this developing story, as traffic patterns may continue to evolve in the wake of the cleanup efforts.
