One person died after a minivan carrying two people and three dogs collided with a truck along southbound Interstate 5 near San Onofre Monday.
California Highway Patrol officers said a 51-year-old man from Gardena was driving southbound in a Hino box truck when his transmission failed around 10:15 a.m. just south of the truck scales.
His truck stalled, and the driver put out warning reflectors behind it as traffic slowed.
However, an 80-year-old man driving a Chevrolet van didn't see the box truck's warning and continued to drive at full freeway speeds, officials said.
The San Juan Capistrano resident slammed into the back of the truck after trying to veer to the left.
A passenger in the van -- a 75-year-old woman also from San Juan Capistrano -- died instantly.
The driver was airlifted to Scripps La Jolla Hospital for major injuries. The three dogs in the van were uninjured, and animal control officers soon took them from the scene.
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The box truck's driver was not injured in the crash.
A Sig Alert was issued and several lanes were blocked by the wreckage, but by 1:20 p.m., all lanes were reopened, according to the CHP.
