Seal Beach-Bound Missiles Undamaged in Truck Crash

Nine surface-to-air missiles en route to the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station were jostled but undamaged in a Texas traffic collision early Thursday, military officials said.

Explosives experts from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene were rushed to the town of Clyde on Interstate 20, where they declared the cargo “undamaged and intact,” although the missiles had shifted, Air Force Capt. John Ames said.

Citing security concerns, military officers declined to specify what type of missiles were involved, beyond the surface-to-air designation. But they did say the truck hauling the weapons was rear-ended by a second truck, with both drivers slightly injured.

Tom Thomas, public information officer at the Seal Beach base, said security rules prohibited his discussing the planned deployment of the missiles.

The missiles were being hauled from an arms depot in Charleston, S.C., to the Seal Beach facility. Thomas said Navy ships from the Gulf War have been using bases in both Long Beach and Charleston.