Image Credit: rightcowleftcoast, CC BY 4.0
(North County Beat) – Early Friday morning, tragedy struck on southbound Interstate 163 in California, leading to a major closure after a fatal crash claimed the lives of four people and resulted in the arrest of two drivers. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m., prompting a swift response from the California Highway Patrol (CHP) who discovered a chaotic scene: two Toyota Prius vehicles and a Toyota Tacoma overturned on the freeway.
Upon arrival, CHP officers found multiple individuals lying on the freeway, with significant damage visible to the vehicles involved. Tragically, two people were pronounced dead at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries after being transported to a local hospital. All four deceased individuals were occupants of one of the Toyota Prius vehicles, which had come to rest on the left shoulder of the freeway, according to CHP Sgt. Melissa Andrews.
Details regarding the sequence of events leading to the crash were not immediately clear, leaving investigators to determine if multiple collisions had occurred. Of particular concern was the use of seatbelts by the occupants, although this detail remained uncertain.
The driver of the overturned Toyota Tacoma was arrested under suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI). Fortunately, the truck had no passengers, and no injuries were reported beyond the driver’s arrest, as confirmed by Sgt. Andrews. Similarly, the driver of the second Toyota Prius, found on the right shoulder beyond the overturned truck, was also arrested on suspicion of DUI. This vehicle also had no passengers, and no injuries were reported.
In response to the crash, authorities issued a sig alert, prompting the closure of all southbound lanes of Interstate 163. Traffic was diverted onto Interstate 805 as emergency crews worked to clear the scene and conduct their investigation. As of the latest reports, the identities of the deceased have not been released pending notification of their families and further investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
