Fuel tanker blaze blocks southbound Highway 99 after collision
A tanker carrying roughly 8,600 gallons of gasoline erupted in flames following a crash on Highway 99, shutting the southbound lanes.
Officials say an unsafe lane change caused a collision between a fuel tanker and a box truck on the southbound stretch of Highway 99. The tanker ignited, engulfing the vehicle in fire while the box truck suffered heavy damage. Both drivers escaped with only minor injuries. Caltrans closed the affected lane and rerouted traffic to State Route 43 via the Floral Avenue exit, warning commuters of several hours of delays.
Why it matters
The blaze halted a major traffic corridor, causing extensive delays and highlighting safety risks of hazardous-material transport.
In this story
explosionfuel tanker8,600 gallonshighway closuretraffic diversionlane changefire