Tesla big-rig battery ignites after crash, spewing fumes and shutting California freeway

A Tesla big rig crashed in Northern California on Monday and ignited the vehicle's battery, starting a fire that filled the air with toxic fumes and forced the closure of Interstate 80 in both directions, the California Highway Patrol said.

The electric semitruck went off the interstate eastbound near Nyack Road in Placer County and crashed into trees on the right shoulder around 3:15 a.m. Monday, according to California Highway Patrol's incident information website. The driver walked away from the crash and was taken to the hospital.

The Tesla's battery caught on fire, and toxic fumes were wafting down the nearby interstate, CHP Officer Jason Lyman said. The battery was smoldering at around 1,000 degrees, and firefighters had to wait for it to burn out, he said.

The battery was still burning, he said, into the late afternoon hours while firefighters tried to cool it down enough for cleanup.

By around 7:20 p.m., the cleanup was completed and the interstate was reopened to traffic in both directions.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .