Two drivers were killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 15 early Saturday morning near Fallbrook, officials confirmed.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said they began receiving phone calls reporting a white Honda Civic driving the wrong way northbound on southbound Interstate 15 one mile south of Gopher Canyon Road just before 3 a.m.
Minutes later, the Civic slammed head-on into a Mercedes. The impact killed the drivers inside both cars. No passengers were inside either vehicle, officials said.
CHP investigators said the wrong way driver was a 51-year-old man, but his name has not yet been released. The driver of the Mercedes was a 57-year-old woman. Her name too is being withheld until her family is notified.
Officials said some items found inside the man’s sedan indicate he may have had a medical problem at the time of the crash, though that’s still under investigation. Officials do not believe alcohol or drugs contributed to this accident.
CHP Sgt. Patrick Holt said at least three lanes on the freeway would be closed for about four hours following the deadly crash.
He said in wrong way driver situations like this, CHP officers do everything they can to quickly catch up with the driver and “get ahead of the vehicle to try to stop it before any collision can occur.”
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The Medical Examiner’s office will determine the cause of death for both drivers at a later time.
