Two firefighters were injured when a wrong-way driver slammed head-on into their engine on Interstate 5 near downtown San Diego Thursday morning, according to California Highway Patrol.
San Diego Fire-Rescue engine 11 was responding to a pedestrian hit-and-run crash at about 2 a.m. when a Toyota Carolla, traveling the wrong way on I-5 at State Route 94, slammed into it, CHP said.
The driver of the Toyota, only identified as a man in his 30s, was killed in the crash.
CHP said four firefighters were taken to UC San Diego Medical Center and evaluated for their injuries. SDFD spokesperson Monica Munoz said, while two of their crew members suffered minor injuries, none required hospitalization.
The crew would return to duty for their next shift, Munoz said.
At the scene, the Toyota was crumpled from impact and debris was strewn across the freeway from the grisly crash.
Southbound I-5 was shut down as CHP officers investigated the crash. Lanes were reopened before 5:30 a.m.
Local
CHP said the man may have been stopped in traffic due to the pedestrian crash on I-5 at Imperial Avenue and decided to turn around and drive the opposite direction on the I-5.
CHP Sgt. Brent Lowrey said a wrong-way crash is one of the worst types of accidents they see on freeways. He cautioned drivers to always heed emergency personnel warnings and signals even if it means having to wait.
"Don’t be impatient. If there’s an emergency in front of you and the freeway is shut down, it’s shut down for good reason," Lowrey said. "Ultimately, slow down, stop if you have to. If the road’s blocked, the roads blocked. Just sit and wait."
No other information was available.
Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
