One adult was airlifted to Scripps Hospital and a 10-year-old girl was airlifted to Rady Children's Hospital after a fiery, head-on crash in Oceanside Friday night, the Oceanside Police Department confirmed.
The collision happened at around 8:15 a.m. in the 4600 block of North Avenue near Vista Pacific Drive.
Police said two vehicles were involved, carrying a combined total of five people: a Ford F-150 pickup truck traveling eastbound on North Avenue and a Cadillac driving westbound.
Police said the driver of the Cadillac, for unknown reasons, drifted over the dividing line on the roadway and slammed head-on into the F-150.
According to police, an officer drove up on the collision and saw that both vehicles were engulfed in flames. By that time, all five occupants in both cars had been able to safely escape.
The Oceanside Fire Department credited an unidentified Good Samaritan for helping the victims get out of the burning cars.
The Oceanside Police Department said firefighters were able to knock out the blaze and keep the flames from spreading to nearby homes on Rose Drive.
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Meanwhile, medics took another child who had been riding in the F-150 to a local hospital as a precaution. Another child was released to family members at the scene.
The driver of the Cadillac suffered a broken ankle. He was taken to TriCity Medical Center, along with another passenger in his car.
Police say drugs or alcohol were not factors in the crash. The cause is under investigation. Both drivers involved in the collision are from Vista. Their names were not released.
Residents said crashes are far too common in the area.
Bob Rogers lives along North Avenue and told NBC 7 three cars have plowed through his fence. He hopes this latest crash is a wake-up call to the City of Oceanside to consider making traffic improvements to the area.
"I think this is too wide of a road. People drive too aggressively to get to their destination. As a result, tonight someone got hurt," Rogers said.
