Boy killed, 3 people injured in crash; Highway 118 closed from Moorpark to Somis

Wendy Leung | Ventura

A 9-year-old boy died and three people were injured when a tanker truck and a car collided Friday morning in an accident that closed Highway 118 from Moorpark to Somis well into the night, authorities said.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the collision was reported at 7:52 a.m. on westbound Highway 118 at Balcom Canyon Road and involved a 2014 Chevrolet Impala and a truck pulling two tank trailers of gasoline. The tanker was traveling west on the 118 and crashed into the left side of the Impala as the car turned left onto the highway from southbound Balcom Canyon Road, the patrol reported.

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Both vehicles spun out and came to rest on the west side of the intersection, with the tanker overturning and spilling about 1,000 to 1,200 gallons of gasoline, authorities said.

The subsequent cleanup and crash investigation shut down Highway 118 in both directions from Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark to Highway 34 in Somis until late Friday, authorities said.

“The double tanker is on its side and the sedan is facing an easterly direction with major damage on the driver side,” said Officer Marco Marin, a Moorpark-area spokesman for CHP.

A 45-year-old Somis mother, her 9-year-old son and her 7-year-old daughter were in the Impala at the time of the crash. All three were injured and taken to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, the patrol reported.

The boy was sitting behind his mother, according to CHP. The girl was also in the backseat and sitting on the right side, CHP reported. She was not restrained and was ejected onto nearby railroad tracks, authorities said.

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Marin said the boy died at the hospital and the girl’s injuries were life-threatening. She suffered trauma to the head and lower extremities, the patrol reported.

The mother suffered major injuries described as trauma to her upper left torso, authorities said.

The driver of the tanker, a 65-year-old Los Angeles man, suffered moderate injuries to his upper torso and was taken to St. John’s Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo, the patrol reported.

Due to the amount of gasoline spilled on the highway, cleanup took most of the day.

The process involved drilling holes into both tanks to drain the gasoline and using equipment to turn the tanks upright then tow them from the scene, authorities said.

The truck had an estimated 4,400 gallons of gas and was leaking 2-3 gallons per minute, according to the California Office of Emergency Services website. Patrol numbers differed, saying the truck was pulling about 8,000 gallons of gas.

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The leak reached nearby railroad tracks and service was stopped in the area, according to the state website.

Hazardous-materials crews from multiple fire agencies helped remove the spilled gas and the truck, said Capt. Stan Ziegler, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.

By 7:20 p.m., the fuel had been emptied. Fire crews were then released from the scene. Officials with the California Highway Patrol and Ventura County Environmental Health remained to conduct the crash investigation and finish the cleanup.

By 10 p.m., the patrol said it was wrapping up the investigation, and the road had reopened by 11:20 p.m.

However, motorists were urged to continue using Highway 101 and Highway 126 as alternate routes through the county. Caltrans planned guardrail repairs Saturday and said only one lane of Highway 118 would be open from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m., with crews alternating traffic through the affected area.