A flatbed truck hauling multiple containers used for non-liquefied hydrogen collided with a sedan on the Ortega (74) Highway west of Lake Elsinore Wednesday, causing the truck to spill its load, leading to a full closure of the corridor.
The non-injury crash occurred at 12:10 p.m. Wednesday on the westbound 74 near Vista Point, about a mile west of Lake Elsinore, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The agency said the truck and Toyota Camry impacted for reasons unclear, causing the larger vehicle’s cargo to scatter onto the highway.
The drivers of the car and truck pulled to the shoulder following the collision.
Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location within a few minutes and found at least 10 containers, resembling oxygen tanks, strewn across both lanes, according to reports from the scene.
Firefighters confirmed the containers were used to store gaseous hydrogen. However, the trucker informed public safety personnel that the containers were all empty. Firefighters additionally verified that none of them had ruptured.
However, as a precaution, both sides of the highway were shut down while a hazardous materials unit cleared the devices from the two-lane corridor.
A SigAlert was posted at 12:20 p.m. due to the ensuing traffic jam affecting travel from San Juan Capistrano on the Orange County side and Lake Elsinore on the Riverside County side.
The cleanup was expected to wrap up by 1:45 p.m., the CHP said.
The cause of the collision was under investigation.