Almost a dozen cars were involved in a serious truck accident in Alameda County late Sunday. Truck accidents are among the most serious types of accidents in the Bay Area because the greater size of a truck makes it more likely that car passengers will suffer catastrophic injuries. The cargo of some trucks could also exacerbate the seriousness of a crash.
The truck involved in the Highway 680 crash was carrying hazardous materials including several highly flammable chemicals used in the production of semiconductors and batteries. These chemicals can catch on fire when exposed to air but fortunately the chemicals were not released during the crash. About 100 gallons of diesel fuel were spilled during the crash however and it took emergency crews about nine hours to reopen the road.
Authorities say that the truck accident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. when the big rig truck slammed into the road’s concrete median divider and overturned into opposing traffic. Chunks of concrete were sent flying across both sides of the road and several motorists were impacted.
“There were 10 vehicles involved in this accident,” a police spokesman said. “Three or four vehicles had to be towed from the scene.”
The semi-truck driver suffered minor injuries and it appears that none of the motorists involved suffered serious personal injuries.
Source: KTVU, “Big rig carrying highly flammable chemicals crashes on Highway 680,” April 30, 2012
