I-215 Now Open Following Jet Crash, Armaments Disposed

UPDATE 4:55 P.M.: The Riverside Area CHP office reported just minutes ago that the freeway is now back open.

"I-215 between Cactus Avenue and Harley Knox Boulevard is now open in both directions! Riverside CHP would like to thank the motoring public for their patience during this temporary closure," the agency said via Instagram.

UPDATE 4:30 P.M.: Caltrans officials say Interstate 215 is still closed in both directions in Moreno Valley, and there is no estimated time of reopening. Officials with March Air Reserve Base say they are working on clearing armaments following Thursday's fighter jet crash.

"The March ARB Explosive Ordnance Disposal team will be disposing of some armaments this afternoon near the base," the Base said via Twitter. "So don't be alarmed if you hear some loud explosion noises."

U.S. Air Force Reserve Col. Thomas McNamara, vice commander of the 452nd Air Mobility Wing at March, would not specify the type of weapons on board the fighter aircraft, saying only that it was loaded with a "standard armament" package.

McNamara said the jet's ordnance had been secured and would be safely disposed of at an undisclosed location. ABC7 broadcast images suggesting the armaments may been transported to an undeveloped portion of the Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center in Riverside, where they were possibly going to be neutralized under ground.

Neither the colonel nor any other base representative offered an explanation or speculation as to why the F-16 went down, including the possibility of fuel starvation. There was no post-crash fire.
The pilot was returning from a homeland security mission involving West Coast patrols, under the direction of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, according to military officials.

The flight officer, whose name was not released, walked away after parachuting onto the end of Runway 32 and was taken to a hospital for examination, according to March officials. He did not require hospitalization.

Riverside University Health System doctors said during a briefing near the air base Friday afternoon that 12 other patients, including several first responders, were brought to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley from the crash scene for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

Three of those individuals were admitted to the hospital.

"It was a good outcome from an unexpected incident," said RUHS spokeswoman Leah Patterson.

ORIGINAL STORY BELOW:

MORENO VALLEY, CA — The morning after a military fighter jet crashed just off the freeway in Moreno Valley, Interstate 215 remained closed in both directions — which was sure to cause a headache to the thousands of commuters who rely on the artery. Meanwhile, an investigation is underway into the crash of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which slammed into a warehouse Thursday afternoon just west of March Air Reserve Base, injuring the pilot and 12 people on the ground.

"The area around the crash site remains closed until further notice," the Riverside County Office of Emergency Management said Friday morning. "Interstate 215 is closed in both directions, from Cactus Avenue to Harley Knox Boulevard. There are multiple business and road closures in the area."

You can find the latest on the closures here.

The F-16, attached to the 114th Fighter Wing in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, went down about 3:45 p.m. Thursday and crashed into the See Water Inc. warehouse at 22220 Opportunity Way, near Meridian Parkway, in the Arnold Heights neighborhood just off of Interstate 215, authorities said.

The pilot, who was on a training mission for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, walked away after parachuting onto the end of Runway 32 and was taken to a hospital for examination, according to the U.S. Air Force Reserve. The aircraft "impacted the ground," the agency said, adding that they are investigating the "mishap."

Twelve people were treated at the scene and taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

The F-16 punched a huge hole in the roof of the 500,000-square-foot building, causing a fire that triggered the on-site sprinkler system, which contained the flames, according to fire officials.

The structure is stacked with plastic pipes, aluminum awnings and other materials, according to the CHP, which received the 911 calls.

Base officials would not say if the F-16 was carrying ordnance.

"I can't, at this time, but will provide those details as they become available," USAFR Col. Melissa Coburn said at a Thursday evening news conference.

Fire officials took a cautious approach to the incident.

"Anything that may be in (the warehouse) is a concern, obviously not just to (firefighters), but to the military," Riverside County Fire Department Capt. Fernando Herrera said. "So we're going to take whatever precautions are necessary."

— City News Service contributed to this report