Crash involving military trucks kills Navy sailor, injures five others near San Onofre beach

A 26-year-old Navy sailor was killed and five others were hurt in a chain-reaction crash involving a convoy of military trucks on south Interstate 5 near San Onofre State Beach on Tuesday morning, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash happened south of Basilone Road about 6:50 a.m. when the convoy of five trucks began slowing down for unknown reasons, CHP Officer Juan Escobar said.

“One of the truck trailers was pushed forward into the cab, causing fatal injuries to the driver,” who died at the scene, Escobar said in a statement.

The name of the sailor was not released.

“The sailor was assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 based at Naval Base Ventura County,” said Brian O’Rourke, a Navy Region Southwest spokesman.

The other injured sailors — three men and two women, all in their early 20s — were taken to Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital and Mission Hospital in Orange County for medical treatment. One of the men suffered serious injuries; the four other sailors sustained minor injuries, Escobar said.

All the sailors involved in the crash were attached to the Ventura County construction battalion, said Lt. Cmdr. Amber Lewis, a Naval Expeditionary Combat Command spokeswoman.

“We mourn the loss of our shipmate, our thoughts and prayers are with the Sailor’s family, friends, and coworkers during this difficult time,” Lewis said in a statement. The convoy was on its way to Camp Pendleton to pick up equipment from a field exercise, Lewis said.

Two southbound lanes were closed, and traffic was backed up to the Orange County line into the afternoon while the crash was investigated.

Anyone with information was asked to call the CHP’s Oceanside office at (760) 643-3400.

Union-Tribune staff writer Andrew Dyer contributed to this report.