Woman dies, 2 hurt in San Diego freeway crash as driver tries to avoid dog
A 53-year-old woman was killed and two other people injured Saturday when the driver of their vehicle braked to avoid hitting a dog on Highway 94 near downtown San Diego, triggering a traffic collision, authorities said.
The accident occurred in the westbound lanes of the freeway, just east of 25th Street, about 10:30 a.m., the California Highway Patrol said.
A dog had wandered onto the median, and two San Diego Humane Society officers were attempting to capture it when the incident occurred. The officers’ truck was parked in the center divider.
The dog ran into traffic lanes, and the driver of a Toyota Camry braked to a halt in the fast lane, the CHP said. A Dodge Ram pickup traveling behind the Camry swerved toward the center divider to avoid the sedan.
But the driver of a GMC Yukon truck pulling a small trailer wasn’t able to stop in time and hit the back of the Ram pickup, authorities said. The pickup shot forward, hitting the Camry and causing it to slam into the back of the Humane Society vehicle.
Three people in the Camry were taken to a hospital, including one woman who suffered major head injuries, the CHP said. The woman, who had been sitting in the back seat with her seat belt on, died at the hospital.
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