1 Dead, 13 Hurt in Fiery Collision on Interstate 5

A semi-trailer truck slammed into a van loaded with Mexican nationals Wednesday on Interstate 5 in Del Mar, killing one woman and injuring 13 other people in a fiery pileup that backed up traffic for miles.

The drivers of the truck and the van fled on foot and were being sought by authorities after the 2:25 p.m. crash in the northbound lanes of the freeway about a mile north of Del Mar Heights Road.

The dead woman and many of the injured suffered serious burns, authorities said.

Witnesses told investigators that the Dodge van was driving more than 70 m.p.h. when the driver appeared to lose control, the vehicle spun and slowed.

Truck Plows Into Van

The big truck, its single trailer piled with a load of heavy framing materials, plowed into the van, pushing it along the top of the outside metal guardrail for about 200 feet, Sgt. D. G. Munyon of the California Highway Patrol said.

As the truck finally slipped by, the van burst into flames. The people inside struggled to flee the burning vehicle, but several were engulfed before they could escape.

Two Life Flight helicopters and ambulances took the victims, not all of whom were identified, to several hospitals. Four went to the burn center at UC San Diego Medical Center, while eight others were dispatched to Scripps La Jolla and Scripps Encinitas hospitals. One infant went to Children’s Hospital.

The dead woman was burned beyond recognition, and authorities had few clues as to her identity. “She’s going to be a Jane Doe for a while,” Deputy Coroner Robert Engel said.

Munyon said the driver of the truck fled on foot south along the shoulder of the freeway. Witnesses said they saw the apparent driver of the van and two to four passengers who escaped serious injury also walk away from the crash.

Helicopter Search of Area

A San Diego police helicopter was dispatched, but was unable to track down any of the people who fled. Police continued to scour the area for hours after the accident.

The crash slowed traffic nearly to a standstill in the northbound lanes, with cars backed up on an 9-mile stretch of Interstate 5 between Del Mar Heights Road and Gilman Drive. The northbound lanes of Interstate 805, which feed into Interstate 5, were also backed up for several miles.

Of the four victims at UC San Diego, one, an unidentified woman, was in critical condition, a hospital spokesman said. Two others, Jack Cabrera, 22, and Alex Ayala, 27, were listed in serious condition with severe burns. Another, Sandra Melendez, 22, was in good condition and was expected to be released.

At Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, two victims--Arturo Paredes Jimenez, 25, and Oscar Mondragon Partida, 25--were in serious condition with extensive burns, a spokeswoman said.

Another victim, Paola Rico, 10, was in stable condition at Children’s Hospital, a spokeswoman aid.