13 Hurt When Van, Pickup Truck Collide

At least 13 people were injured, some seriously, when a church van collided head-on with a pickup truck along Highway 94 in southeastern San Diego County late Saturday, authorities said.

Among the injured were elderly people and at least one child, all of whom were returning on the van from an outing sponsored by a Brawley church, officials said.

The injured--ranging in age from 12 to 77--were taken to five area hospitals for treatment, authorities said.

The most seriously hurt were evacuated by Life Flight and sheriff’s Astria helicopters, which landed alongside the accident site, said Sgt. Roy Stamper of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. Several victims were believed to be in critical condition, but more precise information was not available late Saturday.

Some of the victims were trapped inside the van and had to be extricated, Stamper said.

The driver of the pickup truck was identified as Joseph Butler, 32, of Potrero. the California Highway Patrol said. He sustained major injuries and was taken to Grossmont District Hospital.

The cause of the crash was not available late Saturday.

According to the CHP, Butler lost control of his pickup for unknown reasons and the vehicle crossed the double yellow line, crashing head-on into the church van.

The incident occurred at 6:45 p.m. along Highway 94, 1.5 miles west of the sparsely populated Cameron Corners area, close to the Campo Indian Reservation and about two miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border.

The church group was from Brawley, the CHP said. The name of the church could not be learned immediately.

The accident and ensuing rescue operation forced the shutdown of a two-mile stretch of Highway 94 near Buckman Springs Road for about an hour.

The CHP tentatively identified the dozen injured who were aboard the van as: Louise and Luther Grass, both 65; Marium McGraw, 12; Gay and Daye Ellett, both 65; Beverly Melvin, 62; Amos Jones, 75; Mildred Ralls, 77; Caroline Lytle, 41; Patricia Holmwood, 60; Betty Rathbun, 49, and Robert Rathbun, 54, the driver of the van, who received only minor injuries, the CHP said.

The injured were transported to UC San Diego Medical Center, Sharp Memorial Hospital, AMI Valley Medical Center, Alvarado Parkway Institute, and Grossmont District Hospital.