A 13-year-old boy was killed, a 7-year-old girl was injured and two adults were hurt when a big rig collided with an SUV in the northern reaches of San Diego County, authorities said Wednesday.
The crash happened about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday on Old Highway 395 at Rainbow Glen Road in Rainbow, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Latulippe said.
A 62-year-old man behind the wheel of a Peterbilt truck tractor pulling two trailers was heading northbound on Old Highway 395, while a 34-year-old woman driving a Honda Passport SUV was heading eastbound on Rainbow Glen Road with a 13-year-old boy in the front passenger seat and a 7-year-old girl in the back seat on the right side, Latulippe said.
The Honda entered the intersection — with the driver apparently attempting to continue eastbound on Rainbow Glen Road — and was struck on the right side by the big rig, the officer said. The collision caused both vehicles to veer toward the right shoulder, where they struck an overhead light and came to a stop.
A fire started on the right shoulder and spread to an embankment on the north side of the roadway, Latulippe said.
A San Diego County Sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene and began to help the crash victims, but the fire began approaching the Honda, Latulippe said. Good Samaritans stopped and helped by hooking a chain to the Honda and pulling it out of the path of the fire.
Firefighters arrived and were able to quickly extinguish the blaze, which consumed a 30-by-40-foot patch of roadside vegetation, North County Fire Protection District Capt. Richard Berry said.
The 13-year-old boy was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 7-year-old girl was airlifted to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego for treatment of moderate injuries, Latulippe said.
The Honda driver and the big rig driver were both taken to Palomar Medical Center, the former for treatment of major injuries and the latter for treatment of minor injuries, he said.
Intoxication was not believed to have been a factor in the crash, Latulippe said.
Around 90 gallons of fuel leaked from big rig's fuel tank following the crash and a Hazmat team was called to the scene to clean up the spill, the officer said. About 75 gallons entered a nearby storm drain while the rest was contained on the right shoulder.
