Thread: California Interchange Collapses After Tanker Fire

I do not know the status of this driver. That information has not been released but whether he is illegal, here on a visa, or an American citizen, this story brings to the forefront the absolute calamity and chaos that could be in our futures if Mexican trucks with bad breaks, tired or drugged drivers, or truckers with poor communication skills start to roll across our borders as we expect to happen any day now unless they can be stopped!!!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,269118,00.html


California Interchange Collapses After Tanker Fire

Monday, April 30, 2007
AP


April 29: A tanker burns on a section of freeway that funnels traffic onto the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.

OAKLAND, Calif. — A gasoline tanker crashed and burst into flames near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Sunday, creating such intense heat that a stretch of highway melted and collapsed. Officials predicted a traffic nightmare for Bay Area commuters for weeks or months to come.

Flames shot 200 feet in the air, but the truck's driver walked away from the scene with second-degree burns. No other injuries were reported in the 3:45 a.m. crash, which officials said could have been deadly had it occurred at a busier time.

"I've never seen anything like it," Officer Trent Cross of the California Highway Patrol said of the crumpled interchange. "I'm looking at this thinking, 'Wow, no one died' — that's amazing. It's just very fortunate."

Authorities said the damage could take months to repair, and that it would cause the worst disruption for Bay Area commuters since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake damaged a section of the Bay Bridge itself.

Nearly 75,000 vehicles use the portion of the road every day. But because the accident occured where three highways converge, authorities said it could cause commuting problems for hundreds of thousands of people. State transportation officials said 280,000 commuters take the bridge into San Francisco each day.

Ramp Collapse Closes California Highway On Sunday the collapse doubled the half-hour trip drivers normally face getting to and from San Francisco and the eastern suburbs — even though many didn't even attempt the trip because of the crash. Traffic appeared light on the bridge itself, but motorists looking to get on and off were backed up on both sides.

Transportation officials said they already had added trains to the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system that takes commuters across San Francisco Bay, and were urging people to telecommute if possible.

State officials said motorists who try to take alternate routes Monday instead of relying on public transportation would face nightmarish commutes.

The tanker carrying 8,600 gallons of gasoline ignited after crashing into a pylon on the interchange, which connects westbound lanes of Interstate 80 to southbound I-880, on the edge of downtown Oakland about half a mile from the Bay Bridge's toll plaza.

The driver, James Mosqueda, 51, of Woodland, was headed from a refinery in Benecia to a gas station near the Oakland Airport when the accident occurred, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A preliminary investigation indicated he may have been speeding on the curving road, Cross said. Mosqueda was being treated in a hospital for burns Sunday; the hospital would not transfer media calls to his room.

Witnesses reported flames rising up to 200 feet into the air. Heat exceeded 2,750 degrees and caused the steel beams holding up the interchange from eastbound I-80 to eastbound Interstate 580 above to buckle and bolts holding the structure together to melt, leading to the collapse, California Department of Transportation director Will Kempton said.

The charred section of collapsed freeway was draped at a sharp angle onto the highway beneath, exposing a web of twisted metal beneath the concrete. Officials said that altogether a 250-yard portion of the upper roadway was damaged.

The cost of the repairs would likely run into the tens of millions of dollars, and the state was seeking federal disaster aid, Kempton said. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger planned to issue an emergency declaration to allow repairs to happen faster, said Adam Mendelsohn, the governor's spokesman.

The Bay Bridge consists of two heavily traveled, double-decked bridges about two miles long straddling San Francisco Bay.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said the accident showed how fragile the Bay area's transportation network is, whether to an earthquake or terrorist attack, and has the potential to have a major economic effect on the city.

"It's another giant wakeup call," Newsom told reporters at the California Democratic Party convention in San Diego.

This could be just a sneak preview of what is to come once the Mexican truckers start to roll across America.

Originally Posted by ProudAmericanFamily

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said the accident showed how fragile the Bay area's transportation network is, whether to an earthquake or terrorist attack, and has the potential to have a major economic effect on the city.

This guy is a total butthead. Just three days ago he condemed the ICE raids in San Franciso targeting criminal illegal aliens! What if one of these illegals was a terrorist plotting to blow up your bridges Mr. Newsome?

Originally Posted by Bowman

This guy is a total butthead. Just three days ago he condemed the ICE raids in San Franciso targeting criminal illegal aliens! What if one of these illegals was a terrorist plotting to blow up your bridges Mr. Newsome?

then he would hug them?

I am from the Bay Area, I have notice at first the news didn't mention the name of the driver. I then knew immediately that it had to be a minority. You know when the news refuse to acknowledge the person who is responsible, it is always not told until the bubble burst and they have no choice.

I don't recall what channel, but a reporter asked a sheriff, I believe, if the "driver" had credentials to carry the content. The sheriff stated that it did, but when the reporter asked if the driver had credentials to "drive" the truck, the sheriff didn't want to state. I then knew - yep could be illegal.

I then asked myself "just wait until the Mexican trucks start rolling in here".

The family of the driver stated that he was a good driver. Yet, on the reported that he only had 2 months of training. I mean if your gonna have employees haul dangerous cargo, they should be getting more than 2 months.

Wow tomorrow will be interesting in the morning commute. At least I work 5 minutes from home. Right now, I am listening to the radio and I'm pissed. California voted for a bond to repair bridges and highway for retrofitting. Now it reported they used the money to make a new bridge. Caltrans was asked about the new bridge if they had consider terrorist or accidents. Their response "no one asked when designing the bridge"

I am very interested what the status of this driver. If this guy is an illegal, the company who hired him, should pay for all repairs to our highway instead of the taxpayers.

Berfie, sorry to hear you will be so affected by this, I cannot imagine how this is going to be for all the commuters down there.

Interesting point about the driver. My first thought was, "yes, very well could have been an illegal", but here's a thought, a legal resident alien gets the job, as he/she has their green card, so they are legal, but truthfully, are they knowledgable about our roads and highways? Are they familiar with the region they work in? Do they have very good English skills in order to read road signs, instructions, maps, etc...?

Even someone here legally may present a danger to our roads if given a job where they were in charge of large, fule loaded vehicles, if they are not wholly familiar with and confortable with our driving laws, road signs, English, etc.. Scary thoughts!

Now, another scenario. What if a legal resident alien is given a CDL and a job as this, and their intentions with that loaded truck of fuel was to do intentional harm (not saying this man did anything, this is a potential "what-if" situation I a bringing up) with it, say, terrorist like?

Got a point there Elizabeth, I didn't think about that.

I won't be affected by this however, I have been so blessed to get a job only 5 minutes from here lol. For lunch, I even go home, lol. I won't be getting on the highway. I feel sorry to those who have to commute from one city to another though. I hope Californians realize we were lucky on this.

Also Thank God this man wasn't driving during a heavy commute hours. I know there are alot of trucks on our roads here. I just hope that terrorists don't get ideal from this accident this morning.

The thing that always scared me to drive anywhere near are the triple loaders! Our main highway here is I-84, and as it comes through Portland it is called the "Banfield Freeway". Now this freeway cuts a deep path through the middle of Portland. The freeway is a deep ravine like path, which has few exits, thus by commuters it is now called "the parking lot" due to heavy traffic times and little exits.

So drive on this, with three tight lanes in a small, compact car, next to a triple loader on a curve!!!!

My other thought, the Banfield with a fire like the one that brought that highway section down. Almost nowhere for anyone to even get out of their cars to escape to, at points it is that deep.

BERFIE

Please call the police headquarters and ASK what the driver's IMMIGRATION STATUS is.

They should be able to tell you. As a resident, Berfie, be firm but polite.

Get NAMES of who you speak with also.
They can be used to call the RADIO SHOWS if necessary.

Let's no jump the gun here - the guys first names was James.