Overturned tanker truck spills gas, shuts down southbound 605 Freeway

LAKEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- The southbound 605 Freeway in Lakewood was shut down for several hours after a tanker truck crashed into a car, overturned and spilled thousands of gallons of fuel on the roads.

The crash and resulting spill occurred around 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. Officials said a white SUV was entering the freeway at Carson Street at the time of the collision.

The driver and a passenger were trapped inside the car and were extracted by Los Angeles County firefighters. The pair suffered moderate injuries.

An estimated 2,200 gallons of fuel spilled onto the highway following the crash. Authorities said Fish and Wildlife officials were notified to check if any fuel leaked into nearby storm drains.

All southbound traffic was diverted off at Del Amo Boulevard.

At about 11:30 a.m., all but two southbound lanes of the freeway were reopened, according to a tweet from the CHP. The remaining lanes were expected to stay closed until further notice.

The northbound carpool lane was also shut down as a precaution but has since reopened.