Wrong-Way Driver Killed, Toddler Injured In I-8 Crash In East County

EL CAJON, CA — The driver of a pickup truck was killed and a toddler in another vehicle was seriously injured in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 8 in San Diego's East County.

The crash happened around 7:40 p.m. Sunday when a man driving a 2017 Chevrolet Silverado was heading east on the westbound side of the freeway, west of Second Street in El Cajon, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver veered to the right off the roadway and crashed into a concrete guardrail wall.

"The Chevrolet continued eastbound through the center median, where it crashed into the concrete guardrail wall located on the west edge of Second Street, south of Interstate 8," CHP officer Jared Grieshaber said. "The crash with the concrete guardrail wall caused chunks of concrete debris to strike several vehicles traveling northbound and southbound on Second Street, underneath Interstate 8."

The concrete debris damaged several vehicles and injured a 17-month-old child seated in one of the vehicles. The toddler was taken to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries, Grieshaber said.

The truck crashed onto a sidewalk on the east side of Second Street, where it came to rest along a wall.

"The Chevrolet subsequently became fully engulfed in fire as bystanders rushed and attempted to extricate the unresponsive solo occupant of the Chevrolet," Grieshaber said.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the driver died at the scene, Grieshaber said. His identity was not released.

It was unknown if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash, Grieshaber said.