Fog Triggers S.D. Pileups, Closes I-8

Fifty vehicles collided in dense fog on Interstate 8 in eastern San Diego County on Saturday, closing all eight lanes for 20 miles, authorities said.

Thirty-one people were injured in four chain-reaction accidents in three hours and were taken to seven hospitals after the accidents, which halted traffic in both directions, said Dave Robertson, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.

Both eastbound and westbound lanes were reopened at 9 p.m. under still-heavy fog. The westbound lanes were closed for eight hours and the eastbound lanes were closed for six hours. Four adults and a child were seriously injured and air lifted by Life Flight after they were transported by ambulance west to Alpine, which wasn’t hampered by the fog.

Most of the injured were expected to be treated and released, but some were kept overnight.

In Fair Condition

An unidentified 6-year-old boy was listed in fair condition with cuts at Children’s Hospital, a spokesman there said.

A unidentified 17-year-old boy also suffered chest injuries, a concussion and a broken sternum and was listed in fair condition at Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Near-zero visibility throughout the day made efforts to clear debris and smashed vehicles from the freeway difficult, Robertson said.

Officers at the scene told Robertson they saw “motorcycles sliding under cars and people being ejected and flying through the air” as the officers attempted to aid motorists on the westbound lanes of I-8 in the first wreck just after 1 p.m., Robertson said.

‘Worst Crash’

“One of the veteran officers said it was the worst crash he’d seen in his career,” Robertson said.

The first accident happened just after 1 p.m. as 25 cars careened into each other while westbound on I-8 over the Pine Valley bridge in a mountainous area about 40 miles east of San Diego, Robertson said.

That accident prompted the CHP to close the westbound lanes and set up a roadblock at Buckman Springs Road, diverting all traffic back eastbound, Robertson said.

More Collisions

Two hours later, as officers attempted to clear the westbound lanes on the bridge, 21 more vehicles plowed into one another as officers and motorists watched in horror, Robertson said.

“All the officers could do was sit there and watch as the cars were sliding and smashing into each other,” Robertson said. “It was eerie.”

CHP officials then closed eastbound I-8, setting up a roadblock at The Willows, sending all vehicles back westbound, Robertson said.

And then about a half hour, later two more cars collided in the eastbound lanes of I-8 east of California 79 and two others crashed near the same area about 20 minutes after that, Robertson said.

After reopening the road, six CHP officers escorted more than 1,000 motorists lined up in their cars for more than five miles on each side of the two earlier roadblocks. Robertson said low-visibility prompted the need for escorts.

Extra Help

Crews from the California Department of Transportation, volunteer fire departments, the state Department of Forestry and sheriff’s deputies from substations in nearby Jacumba and Boulevard also aided.

The 21-mile stretch of the freeway had been expected to be reopened by 5 p.m., but the weather hampered efforts, Robertson said.

“It’s so foggy some of the motorists said they couldn’t see the cars in front of them,” he said.

It was not raining at the time of the accidents, but the freeway was “slick and damp,” Robertson said.

Times staff writer Terry Rather contributed to this story.