Truck Driver Questioned on I-5 Crash That Left 2 People Dead and 13 Injured

The California Highway Patrol on Friday interviewed the driver of a tractor-trailer rig who allegedly fled the scene of a fiery crash on Interstate 5 that left two dead and 13 injured and snarled traffic for miles.

The driver, Juan Rodriguez Gonzales, 53, of Tecate, Mexico, was allowed to go free after providing a statement to authorities, said CHP Officer Robert Gustin, who is handling the investigation. The officer declined to provide details.

Although Rodriguez could eventually face charges of hit-and-run driving and vehicular manslaughter, Gustin said the decision was made not to arrest him because he has a current driver’s license, presented himself voluntarily to authorities and is reachable through his job in the United States.

Meanwhile, Gustin said, the CHP is still investigating a report that an infant may have been among the passengers on the ill-fated van that was rear-ended by Rodriguez’s truck Wednesday afternoon. At least one witness reported seeing an infant in the van, Gustin said, but no physical evidence of the child’s presence has turned up.

“There is the possibility that the baby may have almost disintegrated with the heat of the fire,” he said.

One of the two women killed in the crash was burned almost beyond recognition and is still unidentified, authorities said. The second died later at UC San Diego Medical Center.

Four other men remained hospitalized in serious condition there Friday with extensive burns. A 10-year-old girl was in fair condition at Children’s Hospital.

There was no evidence that alcohol abuse was involved in the accident, according to the CHP.

The agency is still seeking the driver of the van, who remained unidentified Friday and is believed to have also fled the scene.

Investigators have ruled out the possibility that the driver was among those hospitalized, Gustin said.