Truck Dribbles Sewage Along California 71; Traffic Snarled

A smelly trail led authorities to a truck that spilled part of its load along California 71 near Corona early Tuesday, causing two collisions and several spin-outs.

The truck dribbled sewage for about 10 miles along the two-lane highway from the Riverside Freeway “all the way up to Chino,” said Officer John Anderson, a spokesman for the Highway Patrol in Riverside.

No injuries were reported in connection with the spill, said CHP Officer Terry Taylor, but “we had two minor accidents--vehicles sliding on the sewage.”

As many as four other drivers lost control of their cars but avoided hitting anything when they skidded through the muck, Anderson said.

Highway Patrol Officer Clyde Richardson, “with his good sense of smell, tracked the truck . . . to a fertilizer plant in Chino,” Anderson said.

Investigators were trying Tuesday to determine the truck’s owner. No citation was issued, Anderson said, but the investigation is continuing.

California 71, a primary route connecting the Pomona and Chino area with northern Orange and western Riverside counties, was closed briefly in both directions. The northbound side remained closed from 6:15 to 10:25 a.m., Anderson said.

“According to Caltrans, the stuff’s hard to pick up,” Anderson said, explaining the lengthy closure. Alternate routes through Yorba Linda and Norco took commuters as much as 20 miles out of their way.