2 hurt after big rig crashes on I-5 traffic in Stanislaus County, prompting hazmat situation

Two people were hurt after a big rig crashed and overturned on Interstate 5 in the Patterson area on Friday, prompting a hazardous materials situation that shut down the freeway for several hours, the California Highway Patrol said. The crash was reported on southbound I-5 north of Sperry Avenue just before 10 a.m. CHP said that for an unknown reason the Freightliner's driver turned left into the center median and then was unable to regain control of the big rig. The 58-year-old driver suffered minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Doctors Medical Center, CHP said. A 43-year-old passenger who was in a sleeper compartment at the time of the crash suffered major injuries was flown to the hospital by helicopter. A hazardous materials team was sent to the scene because the big rig's trailer was filled with refrigerated liquid hydrogen and several witnesses reported smelling the odor of leaking gas. Traffic in both lanes was closed after the crash. Southbound traffic reopened at 1:25 p.m., while northbound traffic resumed around 4:30 p.m. See our traffic map.A company associated with the big rig, Linde, describes the gasses it transports as being "used across just about every industry and country in the world," according to its website. "Whether it’s life-saving oxygen for hospitals, food-grade carbon dioxide to carbonate drinks, high-purity and specialty gases for electronics manufacturing or hydrogen for clean fuels, our gases and process technologies are everywhere," Linde's website says. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel