The family of a man who died in a car crash Monday said the California Highway Patrol made crucial errors in their report of the crash.
The CHP reported Justin Callahan, 35, died when he drove his car the wrong way on Interstate 8 from Sunset Cliffs Boulevard.
The agency said Callahan's Volkswagon Jetta collided head-on with two women in a blue Toyota Camry around 1:55 a.m.
As the Jetta entered the connector with northbound I-5, it collided with the Camry traveling from northbound I-5 to I-8, the CHP reported.
Soon after, an oncoming Jeep Cherokee crashed into the Camry.
“It just didn’t make sense," said Tommy Villafranca, Callahan's brother. "It just didn't work in the timeline. It's impossible."
Villafranca said the night of the crash, Callahan was leaving his job at the Seven Mile Casino in Chula Vista to go to his home in Ocean Beach.
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“He clocked out at 1:30 a.m. There’s cameras there, they have him clocking out," Villafranca said. "His boss saw him leave at 1:38 a.m. It takes a couple minutes to get to his car. It’s about a 14 minute drive to the point of impact, which is about exactly the time that he got there.”
Villafranca said the timing proves that his brother couldn't have been going the wrong way on the highway when the crash happened.
“The only way that would’ve worked is for him to drive off the freeway, get back on the freeway where he just got off, going in the wrong direction, and then get to the spot [of the crash]," Villafranca said. "It’s impossible because by the time that happened, the accident would’ve already happened.”
Villafranca said the only scenario that makes sense is that the other car was going the wrong way down Interstate 8.
“Justin did not hit those girls," said Villafranca. "In fact, it happened the other way around.”
NBC 7 reached out to the CHP after speaking with Callahan's family. Officers said they are not planning to issue a correction at this time.
The CHP said its report was preliminary and it is trying to determine who was at fault during the crash.
“This is what really happened," Villafranca said. "This is the truth. It’s important that we get it right.”
The two women in the Camry were taken to two nearby hospitals with what were described as serious injuries. The driver, a 22-year-old Santee woman, was taken to Scripps Mercy Hospital. The passenger, a 36-year-old El Cajon woman, was taken to UCSD Hospital.
The family set up a GoFundMe page to bring Callahan to his hometown to be buried in Wheatland, California. It has raised over $15,000.
