PUBLIC SAFETY Car accident leads to...

PUBLIC SAFETY

Car accident leads to 4,000-gallon fuel spill

Major environmental damage to the Upper Newport Bay was averted

Friday after 4,000 gallons of jet fuel that spilled during a traffic

collision was absorbed before they could reach the flood control

channels, officials said.

The fuel leaked after a suspected drunk driver in a sport utility

vehicle broadsided a tanker truck near the Costa Mesa Freeway at

Baker Street and Paularino Avenue at about 2 a.m. Friday, police

said. The sport utility vehicle was exiting the freeway and the big

rig was eastbound on Paularino, Costa Mesa Police officials said.

The truck, loaded with 8,000 gallons, was on its way to John Wayne

Airport. The crash caused the tractor trailer to jackknife, roll over

and spill about half its load into the street. Most of the spill was

absorbed when it flowed into a concrete ravine where it was absorbed

by dirt and debris.

Police arrested Orlando Aguilar, a 27-year-old Orange resident, on

suspicion of drunk driving. Aguilar suffered minor injuries and was

treated and released at Hoag Hospital. He made a $2,600 bail.

Henry Liton, 70, the driver of the big rig also escaped with minor

injuries, officials said.

The cleanup lasted all morning Friday, closing off Baker and

Paularino near the Costa Mesa Freeway to traffic until about noon.

The Baker offramp was also closed during that time.

In other news, Costa Mesa experienced a decline in crime during

the first half of the year, a state attorney general’s report

released Thursday showed. Crimes in most categories dropped

significantly in the first six months of 2002 compared to the same

period last year, the report said.

The total number of crimes was up 0.9%, however. Violent crimes

were down 21.5%. Robbery was down 7.8%, aggravated assaults took a

nosedive of 26%, burglaries were down 7.3% and auto thefts were down

11.5%. The only category reflecting an increase was thefts -- up

8.1%.

Officials attributed the decrease to proactive and stringent

enforcement.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.