EDITORIAL: Response to I-15 accident leaves much to be desired

You could forgive hundreds of motorists stranded on Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 over the weekend if they felt trapped in a virtual reality that mimicked a scene from “The Road Warrior.” That it took nearly two days to fully re-open the highway does not reflect well on the California response.

The incident began early Friday when a northbound semi overturned south of Baker while hauling a container of lithium batteries. The trailer then caught fire near the side of the freeway. Lithium fires can be difficult to extinguish because the batteries generate their own heat. Such conflagrations also release toxic gases.

The California Highway Patrol responded by closing I-15 entirely, creating a massive backup on both sides of the freeway. The move also led to bumper-to-bumper traffic on I-40, as some drivers diverted to that route at Barstow. Southbound lanes were reopened hours later, but the northbound lanes remained closed until early Sunday morning.

Some drivers found themselves stuck in traffic on either I-15 or I-40 for more than 12 hours. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been to hell before,” Las Vegas motorist Kevin Speakman told the Review-Journal, “but that’s how I would describe it.”

There are very few alternative routes or services in the area. But California officials should have done a better job keeping motorists informed or creating an orderly path for northbound drivers to return to Barstow and environs further south. Some motorists told the Review-Journal that they saw few highway patrol or law enforcement officers managing the situation.

In the meantime, according to news reports, firefighters made multiple attempts to move the burning trailer but were unsuccessful. This suggests a lack of disaster preparation. Almost two days after the accident, crews finally managed to drag the trailer farther into the desert away from the highway, allowing them to reopen the northbound lanes.

Southern Nevada officials responded by criticizing California for neglecting the I-15 corridor between the state line and Barstow — and there is truth to that. There is no rational explanation for why much of this heavily traveled stretch of highway remains just two lanes.

Yet it’s doubtful that highway improvements — or rail service — would have made a difference. Would law enforcement have allowed trains running down the middle of I-15 to have continued service? Doubtful. Would a third lane on the freeway have stopped the closures? Again, doubtful.

What motorists caught in the chaos needed was a more rapid response to either extinguish the fire or move the burning trailer. They didn’t get either. California officials should investigate why.