Crime & Safety
Big-Rig Driver Dies in Highway 37 Crash
A truck hauling hazardous materials crashed from an overpass onto a grassy area in Vallejo, shutting down westbound Highway 37, according to the CHP.
By Bay City News Service
A big-rig driver was killed in a fiery crash that has shut down westbound state Highway 37 in Vallejo on Thursday morning, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.
A collision between an Ace Hardware big-rig and a white pickup truck was reported at about 6:40 a.m. on westbound Highway 37 just east of Highway 29, CHP Officer Chris Parker said.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The collision caused the big-rig to fall from the overpass, Parker said. It landed in a grassy area below and caught fire.
Parker said two witnesses who were driving north on Highway 29 saw sparks coming from the big-rig before it fell from Highway 37. The two, along with an off-duty paramedic, ran to the big-rig as it burned and pulled the driver out of the cabin, Parker said.
Find out what's happening in Napa Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The driver was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, Parker said.
The pickup truck's driver refused medical attention, the officer said.
Hazardous materials were in the big-rig's trailer, and a Solano County haz-mat team has responded to the crash site, Parker said.
The crash tied up traffic in a widespread area around the North Bay as Highway 37 was closed. The collision remains under investigation, he said.
Click here to see raw video and a report from KTVU Channel 2.
Copyright © 2012 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.
Stay Patched in: Follow Napa Valley Patch on Twitter | Like Napa Valley Patch on Facebook | Sign up for the daily email with links to the latest news | Got something to say? Start a blog and share your views.