Crazy video of an infernal big-rig wreck on the 710 freeway in Commerce emerged over the weekend.

A truck carrying 8,000 gallons of crude ended up over the side of the 710 and the payload erupted, creating a river of fire in the neighborhood below that enveloped at least half a dozen cars parked on streets — while a sea of flames filled gutters and storm drains.

The scenery was eerie:

The tanker blaze sent flames over the side of the elevated freeway into seemingly every place water would have flooded, drenching train tracks and streets below in a lava-like flow of fire as neighbors fled.

The truck driver in the 9:30 a.m. Sunday solo wreck was said to have been badly burned but, miraculously, no other injuries were reported.

The inferno was so serious, however, that Caltrans structural engineers worked overnight to determine if the southbound elevated 710 near Washington Boulevard is safe for travel.


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Bad news for Eastside commuters.

The whole freeway was shut down for an hour and a half, and southbound lanes were closed for most of the day Sunday.

A couple southbound lanes opened late last night and Caltrans crews were hoping to have the whole thing open for the morning commute. That's if the structural integrity of the elevated roadway gets the green light.

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