Big rigs collide on 210 Freeway in San Gabriel Valley, spilling cargo across lanes

Two big rigs collided on the 210 Freeway on Wednesday afternoon, creating a traffic backup after cargo spilled across several lanes of the road. 

It happened just before 11 a.m. on westbound lanes near Pennsylvania Avenue in La Cañada Flintridge, according to the California Highway Patrol. 

The crash caused one of the two semis to overturn and spill its contents onto the freeway, Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters said. It's unclear exactly what was being carried by the trucks.

A third car, which appeared to be a Mercedes-Benz sedan, was also involved in the collision. During the crash, it became wedged underneath the trailer portion of one of the two semi trucks when it overturned. 

They took three people to nearby hospitals for injuries sustained in the collision. Their status was not immediately known. 

After CHP officers issued a SigAlert for all westbound lanes, they redirected traffic into the center median and then to SR-2. They did not say when the closure would end. 

Earlier in the day, just after 9 a.m., CHP officers said a semi-truck caught fire in the westbound lanes of the 210 near Sunland Boulevard. It spread to a nearby hillside and burned approximately half an acre before firefighters were able to get the upper hand.