Crash Site Finally Given All-Clear at 3:47 a.m.

A 12-hour blockage of the northbound Santa Ana (5) Freeway lanes ended early today when authorities and workers managed to raise and remove a toppled 55-ton crane.

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The California Highway Patrol online incident log said the lanes reopened at 3:47 a.m.

The massive crane fell across lanes around near Avenida Pico in San Clemente around 3 p.m. Thursday, CHP Officer John Latosquin said.

No one was injured in the crash, which occurred when a northbound big- rig carrying the crane plowed into a center divider. A backup estimated to be 5 miles long ensued, extending south beyond the San Diego County line.

One lane of the freeway was opened by late afternoon Thursday but all lanes were closed again at 8:45 p.m.

“This was a tricky one, because it’s a crane,” CHP Sgt. Alan Jones said of the crane-raising operation. “It weighs 110,000 pounds, and we needed other cranes to move it.”

--City News Service

PHOTO Credit: Jesse Mikulec

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