Fiery Tanker Crash On 134 Freeway Caused $250K In Damage

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The damage from a fiery tanker truck crash on the 134 Freeway in Glendale is estimated to cost $250,000.

The crash caused damage to asphalt, guard and bridge rails at the junction of Interstate 5 and State Highway 134 near Griffith Park, said Lauren Wonder, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Transportation. The intense fire blackened the transition ramp up above the 134 Freeway lanes and plain melted parts of the road itself, KNX 1070's Jon Baird reports.

Freeway lanes will have to be closed overnight so crews can do the repairs.

"When you have a fire, any kind of car fire, it can be damaging to the road," Wonder said. "The fuel leaks into the road, the oil can disintegrate concrete or asphalt. When you have a gasoline tanker fire, because you've got so much gasoline, so much fuel that can damage the pavement, we often get that disintegrated asphalt."

Concrete core samples show no damage to blackened overhead freeway ramps, she said.

Hakop Maghakyan, 25, of Glendale was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving for hitting the double-tanker rig late Saturday night. The crash split open the rear tank and spilled 6,000 gallons of gas, some of which ended up in the brush along the freeway. About 150 firefighters and two water-dropping helicopters were needed to extinguish the fire.

There were no injuries in the crash, but the 134 Freeway at the 5 Freeway was shut down for nearly 24 hours.

In December, a tanker truck fire severely damaged an overpass along State Route 60 in Montebello, east of Los Angeles. . Most of that overpass had to be demolished.

RELATED STORIES:

»Driver Arrested For Alleged DUI Following Collision With Gas Tanker In Glendale
»Photo Gallery: Massive Tanker Fire On 134 Freeway