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I-5 Reopens After Gruesome Pileup

Authorities still have not identified the victims
Posted Oct 15, 2007 6:36 PM CDT
I-5 Reopens After Gruesome Pileup
Two of many trucks burn in the truck lanes of the south/bound Interstate 5 in the Newhall Pass between Santa Clarita and Los Angeles early Saturday morning, Oct. 13, 207. Rain slick roads caused several of the trucks to overturn. (AP Photo/Mike Meadows)   (Associated Press)

Some California I-5 lanes reopened today after Friday's massive 15-truck pileup, but police still haven't assessed blame for the blaze. One trucker phoned a friend after slamming into a semi in the tunnel, the Los Angeles Times reports; he described a fire, vehicles exploded and the line went dead. Police say 3 died in the fire, including a 6-year-old boy.

Rush hour traffic was light today when the freeway opened earlier than expected: "They got a surprise this morning, finding the freeway actually open," said a highway patrol spokesman. "Everybody went to bed with bad news and woke up with good news." Southbound truck lanes will stay closed while authorities assess the tunnel's structural fitness.

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