On Oct. 15, a serious motor vehicle crash took place in San Jose on southbound Interstate Highway 280. Unusually, one of the vehicles involved was a tanker truck full of liquid chemicals that are used for portable toilets.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the collision took place shortly after 5:00 a.m. near the onramp to South 11th street. Nearly 100 gallons of blue chemicals spilled onto the roadway from the tanker truck. All southbound lanes were closed.
Several parties were taken to the hospital after suffering injuries. Fortunately, none of the injuries were reported to be particularly serious.
Six vehicles were involved in the collision. According to the driver of a BMW interviewed by KCBS, it started raining just after 5 a.m. when he entered the freeway; he spun out, possibly causing the chain-reaction collision.
In California, most of the time, the weather is sunny, beautiful and not much of a factor in roadway accidents. But, drivers still need to be prepared for the occasional spell of inclement weather. Absent driver error, a little rain should not in itself cause a crash, although challenging weather may indeed magnify the effects of a driver’s mistake. In this case, such a mistake appears to have led to a six-vehicle pileup, delays for hundreds of motorists and a handful of injuries.
If you were harmed in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence, remember that you may be entitled to compensation. Talk to a personal injury lawyer about your accident to find out how you may be able to recover monetary damages.
Source: KCBS, “Overturned Tanker Spills Porta-Potty Water In 6-Car Accident; Causing Injuries & Blocked Lanes On Hwy 280 In San Jose,” Matt Bigler, Oct. 15, 2014
