405 Freeway Reopens After Hazardous Materials Spill

REDONDO BEACH, CA — The 405 Freeway was reopened Thursday afternoon after a hazardous materials spill prompted a four-hour closure of the freeway, bringing traffic to a halt.

The closure, near Inglewood Avenue in Redondo Beach, was due to a spill of "corrosive liquid," Los Angeles County fire officials said. A package carrying the corrosive liquid fell from a Toyota pickup truck at about 11 a.m. on the southbound side of the freeway near Inglewood Avenue.

Officials cleaned the spill and no injuries were reported.

Initial reports indicated the liquid was hydrogen cyanide, but fire officials confirmed it was not hydrogen cyanide, and only a small amount of the chemical was found on the freeway.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the package was filled with what was later identified as thioglycolic acid. CHP officials said the driver had shipping papers and the legal authorization to carry the material, but the package was not properly secured in the truck, causing it to fall onto the roadway, where it was struck by another vehicle. Less than one liter of the chemical spilled, according to the CHP.

Thioglycolic acid can cause severe injury or possibly death if someone inhales it, ingests it or touches it, according to the United States National Library of Medicine.

All lanes of the 405 Freeway were closed in both directions while a hazardous-materials crew was called to the scene to determine the nature of the spill and clean the area. The northbound lanes were reopened around 2 p.m., and the southbound lanes were cleared an hour later.

City News Service contributed to this post