A Tesla big rig crashed in Northern California on Monday and ignited the vehicle’s battery, starting a fire that filled the air with toxic fumes and forced the closure of Interstate 80 in both directions, the California Highway Patrol said.
The electric semitruck went off the interstate eastbound near Nyack Road in Placer County and crashed into trees on the right shoulder around 3:15 a.m. Monday, according to California Highway Patrol’s incident information website. The driver walked away from the crash and was taken to the hospital.
The Tesla’s battery caught on fire and toxic fumes are wafting down the nearby interstate, CHP Officer Jason Lyman said. The battery is smoldering at around 1,000 degrees, and firefighters have to wait for it to burn out, he said.
Semitruck traffic is being held at the westbound Nevada state line and eastbound at Applegate, and passenger vehicles are being turned eastbound at Highway 174 and westbound at Highway 20 to avoid the crash’s fumes.