A fuel tanker drove off a San Diego area highway, knocked out a power pole and landed on a hillside.
The tanker drove off the eastbound State Route 905 in Otay Mesa near the U.S.- Mexico border around 10 p.m. Thursday.
The fact that the tanker is carrying 8700 gallons of fuel and was in such a precarious position created a challenge for emergency crews.
“It would have overturned. Everybody that’s been out here on the scene has been surprised that it hasn’t overturned,” said CHP Sgt. Sofia Mosqueda. “It’s pretty amazing.
The tanker drove off the highway and into a ditch before resting on the embankment near Caliente Avenue.
The first step was to bring in another fuel tanker and offload most of the combustible fuel inside the damaged truck.
Then, crews worked to remove fencing at the top of the embankment. By 8 a.m., the tanker had been removed from the hillside.
Local
Two lanes were reopened to traffic heading eastbound along the highway that runs just north of San Ysidro High School.
