As San Diego firefighters helped four people hurt in a crash in Barrio Logan Wednesday, they discovered another passenger in the wreckage: a tiny dog in a crate inside a car driven by a DUI suspect.
The black container was sitting on the right front floorboard of a Dodge Challenger, California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said. Firefighters spotted the crate as they ripped through the Dodge while pulling the DUI suspect out of the mangled car on southbound Interstate 5, north of Cesar Chavez Parkway.
The crate and dog were set aside in a safe spot near the crash site.
As officials loaded the Dodge onto a tow truck, the pup’s big, brown eyes peeked through the mesh door of the crate. At times, the dog pressed its nose against the mesh, but he mostly just lay on a white blanket. He didn’t make a peep.
While the dog was not hurt in the crash, four people did suffer injuries.
CHP officials said the man behind the wheel of the Dodge – identified as a 38-year-old San Diego resident – had been traveling at a high rate of speed just before 1:45 a.m. when he rear-ended a Nissan Pathfinder carrying three people.
When the Dodge hit the Nissan, the Nissan became disabled at the top of the off-ramp to Cesar Chavez Parkway.
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The Dodge drifted south on the off-ramp and plowed into a wood and metal guardrail on the east edge of the ramp, the CHP said. About 100 feet of guardrail was damaged, and the Dodge got tangled up in the metal. The driver was stuck inside the car and had to be rescued by firefighters.
CHP officials said the driver of the Dodge suffered moderate injuries and was taken to UCSD Medical Center. He was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI. His name was not immediately released.
The driver of the Nissan – a 58-year-old man – also suffered moderate injuries in the crash. His passengers, a 57-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man, suffered minor injuries. All three victims are from Oxnard, California, and were taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital.
The Cesar Chavez Parkway off-ramp from southbound I-5 was closed for several hours following the crash as officials gathered evidence and crews repaired the guardrail.
The investigation is ongoing.
At this point, it is unclear what happened to the dog after the crash. NBC 7 has reached out to the CHP for those details.
