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UPDATE: HWY 101 fully reopens after semi-truck crash in Paso Robles

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Posted at 5:43 AM, Aug 16, 2022
and last updated 2022-08-16 13:12:38-04

UPDATE (10:07 a.m.) - CHP officials tell us the highway has fully reopened through Paso Robles, several hours after the initial closure.
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UPDATE (7:50 a.m.) - The California Highway Patrol has released additional information on a fiery tractor-trailer crash in Paso Robles Tuesday that shut down a portion of Highway 101.

CHP says the 31-year-old driver was not hurt when his vehicle went off the northbound lanes of the highway, south of Highway 46, and hit a metal guardrail.

The collision caused the vehicle to become engulfed in flames and scattered 48 bins of oranges across all lanes of the highway.

It is not known when the highway will reopen.

Two other crashes have since been reported in the southbound lanes in the same area. No word on the extent of any injuries in those incidents.

ORIGINAL STORY: An early morning semi-truck crash and fire shut down all northbound lanes of Highway 101 in Paso Robles from the Main Street intersection to Highway 46 Tuesday morning.

First reported at 4:24 a.m., a single semi-truck carrying oranges collided with a sedan near the HWY 46 off-ramp. 

The crash resulted in the tractor-trailer and the diesel tank engulfing in flames. The San Luis Obispo County Environmental Health and Safety and HAZMAT team were requested because of the leaking fuel. 

One ambulance was sent over to the scene, but there are no confirmed injuries yet. 

A multitude of agencies responded to the scene, including CAL FIRE, the Paso Robles Fire Department, Templeton Fire Department, and CHP.
 
While they have put the flames out, Caltrans is assessing for the re-opening process.