CRASH SHUTS I-5 FOR HOURS.

Byline: Amy Raisin Darvish Staff Writer

A trash truck heading through the Newhall Pass collided Tuesday with a truck carrying chemicals, causing a 20-mile freeway jam in the sweltering heat that only got worse when the toxic vapors and burning trash forced motorists onto city streets, authorities said.

The 12:30 p.m. crash on the Golden State Freeway south of Calgrove Boulevard closed the southbound lanes well into the evening commute and shut down northbound lanes for 1 1/2 hours before two lanes were reopened.

Nobody was seriously hurt in the crash, though two people were taken to a local hospital for treatment, and two others were checked for chemical contamination after venturing near a box truck loaded with pool cleaning agents.

Five hours passed before all northbound lanes were reopened.

The crash proved a boon for a pizza parlor with a good size dining room a mile from the crash, but the delivery end of business suffered as traffic on local streets came to a halt during the evening rush hour.

``We've been busy,'' said Maria Avila, manager of Vincenzo's Pizza on Lyons Avenue. ``People are getting off the freeway and coming in.'' At about 6 p.m., the restaurant was serving some 40 customers.

But for one competitor the traffic meant an hour to deliver a pizza.

``It kills us,'' said David Ray, manager of a Pizza Hut restaurant in Newhall. ``It more or less doubles it, if not more.''

While Lyons Avenue east of the freeway was ``a sea of cars,'' business at Claim Jumper on the opposite side of the I-5 was slow, employee Kevin White said.

``We're really slow at the moment. Usually at this time, we're usually busy,'' White said.

The trash truck, bound for the Chiquita Canyon Landfill near Val Verde, burst into flames after tangling with the smaller rig and jumped the center divider before skidding past opposing traffic and stopping down the side of the freeway. The flames ignited spot fires in the surrounding mountains.

The other truck, carrying 1-gallon bottles of chemicals used in swimming pools, broke open and landed in pieces on the right shoulder. When the plastic bottles of ammonia, chlorine and other chemicals shattered, the combination created a toxic mixture. Two people exposed to the chemicals were taken to a local hospital, and two others, including a CHP officer, were treated at the scene.

``The spilled contents formed a toxic chemical, and the driver was exposed,'' said Los Angeles County Fire Battalion Chief Greg Hisel. ``The CHP officer who arrived on the scene was also exposed, but he was treated at the scene and released. We've got a (hazardous materials) task force on scene investigating how many bottles broke.''

While fire crews doused the brush fire, southbound lanes were closed, and stranded motorists were directed down an on-ramp. The result was gridlock on The Old Road, which parallels the freeway.

Amanda Rios, a West Hills resident who works at the Valencia Town Center mall, left work at about 5 p.m. and found herself stuck in a sea of traffic. After a few fruitless attempts at finding a quicker route, the 27- year-old got on her cell phone.

``It's just a nightmare. I called work to find out which way I should go. I called (other friends),'' Rios said. ``It usually takes me 45 minutes to an hour to get home. It's going to take at least three hours today.''

The southbound lanes could not be reopened until contents of the trash truck, still smoldering from the fire, were dumped out and extinguished. The truck was then towed off the freeway.

Staff writers Eugene Tong and Susan Abram contributed to this story.

Amy Raisin Darvish, [phone]

amy.raisin(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

5 photos, map

Photo:

(1 -- ran in Valley edition only) Firefighters extinguish flames resulting from a truck collision Tuesday on the Golden State Freeway. The incident created a traffic jam that lasted well into the evening commuting hours.

(2 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Firefighters extinguish a burning garbage truck Tuesday on the Golden State Freeway that had crashed through the median and struck an opposing vehicle.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

(3 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Truck driver Jose Sanchez is treated for minor injuries.

(4 -- 5 -- color -- ran in SAC edition only) Hand crews move in to extinguish a burning garbage truck on the Golden State Freeway, above. The truck had collided with a truck carrying pool-cleaning chemicals, closing the freeway for hours. At left, the burned-out husk of the trailer lies beside the freeway.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer

Map:

GOLDEN STATE FREEWAY CRASH

Warren Huskey/Staff Artist