COSTA MESA, CA – Tragedy struck in Orange County on Monday morning when the driver of a sewage vacuum tanker truck was killed. The driver’s untimely death took place after a crash with a small SUV. The disastrous collision took place near the 405 Freeway, at the crossroads of West Sunflower Avenue and Fairview Road, reported the Costa Mesa Police Department.
Police shared a photo of the devastating site, showing the overturned truck and strewn debris. The driver, who remains unidentified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The accident transpired around 8:40 a.m. as the tanker truck made its way through the intersection, broadsided by the SUV. According to Sgt. Jared Barnes of the Costa Mesa Police Department, preliminary investigations indicate that the tanker truck driver may have run a red light.
The SUV operator was transported to a nearby hospital, currently in unspecified condition. The collision’s impact caused the truck’s content to spill onto the roadway, necessitating the dispatch of a hazmat team to the crash site.
The post-collision investigation and cleanup will necessitate an extended closure of the intersection, police predict.