The eastbound lanes of the 105 Freeway in Hawthorne have reopened after a tanker truck collided with another vehicle early Friday, triggering an explosion and fire that shut down the freeway in both directions and closed the Metro Green Line, authorities said. The crash occurred about 5:15 a.m. when a Range Rover and tanker truck collided near Prairie Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. The tanker burst into flames and sent a fireball shooting across the freeway. Two people were killed, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Sign up for our daily Essential California newsletter » Advertisement With lanes closed in both directions, some motorists began turning around and driving in the wrong way as they attempted to find an exit, witnesses said. At 8 a.m., the eastbound lanes of the freeway were reopened, but the westbound lanes remain closed, according to the CHP. The Metro Green Line shut down service between Hawthorne, Lennon-Vermont and Athens because of the fire, which burned along the center divider and near the train tracks. 1 / 8 Los Angeles County Firefighters and CHP officers at the scene of a deadly accident involving a tanker truck and a Range Rover on the westbound 105 Freeway near Prairie Ave. in Hawthorne. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 8 Members of the California Highway Patrol inspect skid marks on the westbound 105 Freeway near Prairie Ave. following a fatal crash between a Range Rover and a tanker truck. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 8 Firefighters walk between the charred shells of a tanker truck and SUV that collided and burst into flames early Friday, shutting down the 105 Freeway and the Metro Green Line train in Hawthorne. (KTLA-TV) 4 / 8 Some motorists stranded by the crash on the 105 Freeway got out of their cars during the backup. (KTLA-TV) 5 / 8 Commuters stuck on the westbound 105 Freeway form a line to buy snacks from a food truck that was among the vehicles caught in the traffic jam. (Chris Keller / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 8 Firefighters and emergency personnel survey the scene of a fiery tanker truck crash that shut down the 105 Freeway and the Metro Green Line in Hawthorne. (KTLA-TV) 7 / 8 Some motorists stranded on the 105 Freeway became pedestrians after a fiery tanker truck crash that shut down freeway in Hawthorne. (KTLA-TV) 8 / 8 Motorists are backed up on the 105 Freeway after a fiery predawn crash shut down the freeway in both directions. (Marc Martin / Los Angeles Times) Jose Ubaldo, a Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority spokesman, said a bus was dispatched to pick up Green Line passengers at the Hawthorne/Lennox, Crenshaw and Vermont/Athens stations. Major traffic on surface streets, however, slowed the process, he said. “They’re going to experience delays, but we’re trying to accommodate people as much as possible,” he said. Ubaldo said it appears from video of the scene that there might be some damage to the Metro rail system, though it is unclear how extensive it might be. The tanker truck was smoldering next to a wall that divides the roadway from the rail system. The crash shut the freeway down on both sides at Prairie Avenue. With nothing to do but wait, commuters began exiting their cars and meandering on the freeway. Others grabbed their luggage, hopped fences and walked down to city streets. (Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times) Advertisement Among the stranded commuters was Chris Ayala from Ontario. Ayala inspects fire extinguishers and sprinklers and was on his way to Los Angeles International Airport to inspect systems in one of its parking structures when traffic came to a standstill. He was 10 minutes from the airport. “[If] I didn’t stop to get gas this morning I would have missed it,” Ayala lamented. The backup on the freeway stretched for miles. The CHP also temporarily closed the 110 Freeway carpool lane transition to the westbound 105 Freeway and 405 Freeway northbound to the eastbound 105, logs show. There were no immediate details on what caused the crash. Advertisement Times staff writers Chris Keller and Hannah Fry contributed to this article. joseph.serna@latimes.com For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter. Times reporter Hannah Fry contributed to this article. Advertisement UPDATES: 11:10 a.m.: This article was updated with an interview with the food truck owner. 8:10 a.m.: This article was updated with additional reports of from CHP and Metro officials. 7:15 a.m.: This article was updated with the confirmation of two fatalities. Advertisement 6:45 a.m.: This article was updated with additional closure details and reactions from commuters. This article was originally published at 5:55 a.m.<doc-sep>NEW A vastly improved search engine helps you find the latest on companies, business leaders, and news more easily.<doc-sep>
Crime & Safety Fiery Tanker Crash Creates Surreal Scene On SoCal Freeway When a tanker fire closed the Century Freeway, stranded drivers left their cars, even lining up at a taco truck in the carpool lane. Reply HAWTHORNE, CA — A tanker crash on the westbound Century (105) Freeway exploded into flames, killing two people and closing both directions of the freeway in Hawthorne Friday morning. The scene created a surreal scene with stranded commuters walking around the freeway, lining up outside a taco truck in the carpool lane. The crash involving a tanker and an SUV happened at 5:15 a.m. on the westbound side of the freeway near Prairie Avenue, according to the California Highway Patrol. It snarled rush hour traffic for thousands. Stranded drivers walked along the freeway. The food truck opened for business, and hungry commuters lined up as smoke from the crash billowed above them. The two drivers in the crash died at the scene, according to reports. The flames shot high into the sky and burned for more than an hour with fuel spilling onto the roadway shoulder, where firefighters dammed the flow so crews could clean up the spill. Uber driver Hisaki Shimidu told reporters he saw the SUV speeding through traffic before the crash. "I saw one reckless driver (going) very fast -- 75 to 80 miles per hour ... almost like racing," Shimidu said. The SUV then struck the center divider, he said. CHP Capt. Doug Young said the cause of the collision was under investigation. "What we have right now is a set of double gasoline tankers," Young told reporters after daybreak. "The front tanker overturned after hitting the center divider wall. It appears to have gotten involved with a civilian SUV." Metro Green Line service was suspended between the Hawthorne/Lennox and Vermont/Athens stations due to the fire, Metro spokesman Jose Ubaldo said, adding bus bridges were provided for rail passengers affected by the closure. As of about 7:15 a.m., Metro crews were awaiting permission from first responders to enter the affected area and assess the damage to the rail system, Ubaldo said. About 8 a.m., the eastbound freeway was reopened, but westbound lanes remained blocked. It was unclear how long the westbound closure would remain in effect.