The driver who made an illegal U-turn on State Route 67 Monday night, prompting a fiery three car crash, may have been driving under the influence, San Diego County Sheriff's deputies (SDSO) said.
The crash, which shut down all lanes of the freeway during rush hour, happened near Iron Mountain Road when 49-year-old Allen Brotzman, of Vista, was driving his Ford Mustang along the highway, deputies said.
Just before Iron Mountain Road, Brotzman made an illegal U-turn, deputies said, causing a chain reaction.
A Ford Fusion heading north struck his car, and a Toyota Highlander driving north struck the Ford Fusion, according to SDSO deputies.
The impact of the collision set the Mustang on fire. A Good Samaritan who witnessed the crash rushed to pull out Brotzman, who was trapped in the car following the crash, right as flames fully engulfed the car.
Brotzman suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to Palomar Hospital in Escondido for treatment. Two of the drivers from the other vehicles were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, SDSO said. They were treated and released.
Carlos Torres walked away from the crash, shaken but uninjured. He spoke to NBC 7 in Spanish, while his roommate translated, saying that he was the last driver involved in the crash.
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"Yeah he was worried because he couldn't stop fast enough to stop the accident," Torres' roommate, Rosa Rivera said.
"You know what, thank God. No fatalities..what I understand from what I heard from police officers, praise God," said Rivera.
The CHP issued a Sig alert for all lanes on the highway. The freeway was closed at Poway Road to the northbound SR-67 and Scripps Poway Parkway was closed on the southbound lanes. The roads were reopened hours later.
Sheriff's officials say Brotzman is suspected of driving under the influence; the collision is under investigation.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Deputies S. Boegler or S. Rojas with the Poway Sheriff's Traffic Division at (858) 513-2800.
