[05-10-2024] San Diego County, CA – Four People Killed, One Injured Following Fiery Two-Vehicle Head-On Crash Along SR-76 Near Fallbrook

Four people were killed, while one was injured following a fiery two-vehicle head-on crash near Fallbrook, San Diego County, late Friday night, May 10, 2024.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the fatal incident occurred at around 11:18 p.m. along State Route 76, about a mile east of Interstate 15.

CHP officers said that a still-unidentified driver was traveling eastbound on SR-76 on a silver Chrysler 300 just east of Horse Ranch Creek Road. Simultaneously, a 58-year-old man was driving a white Jeep Gladiator going west on the same roadway with a silver Toyota Camry driven by a 56-year-old man directly behind him.

Initial investigation suggested that the driver of the Chrysler, for some reason, veered to the left and onto oncoming traffic, resulting in a head-on collision with the Jeep. The Toyota behind it, meanwhile, was slightly side-swiped as a result of the initial crash. Both the Chrysler and the Jeep then caught fire, adding further hazard to the scene.

CHP confirmed that the collision resulted in four fatalities. The drivers of the vehicles directly involved in the head-on crash both died from their injuries, along with two adult passengers inside the Jeep. 

A third passenger in the Jeep survived and was taken to Palomar Hospital in Escondido with serious injuries. There is no word yet about the current condition of the sole survivor of the collision. 

It is unclear if the Toyota driver who was minorly involved was injured.

Additional information was not immediately available, and the authorities are still gathering all the necessary details to determine the factors leading up to the deadly incident.