6-Vehicle Crash on I-15 in Escondido Slows Morning Commute

ESCONDIDO, CA: Commuters heading south on Interstate 15 were met with snarled traffic Tuesday morning as the result of a multi-vehicle crash near Via Rancho Parkway and Del Lago Boulevard in Escondido, according to California Highway Patrol.

The collision involving at least six vehicles was reported at 5:53 a.m. and resulted in debris strewn across the roadway — causing the closure of four lanes and backing up traffic for miles.

The vehicles — including a silver Nissan Titan, a gray Jeep, a white Toyota Tacoma, a gray Nissan Altima, a red truck and a big rig — had all been moved to shoulder areas by about 6:30 a.m., allowing authorities to reopen the lanes, CHP reported.

However, as tow trucks were awaited, looky-loos caused the normally congested morning commute route to become even more snarled, with traffic still slow in the area at 8:15 a.m., drivers reported.

At least one ambulance responded to the scene but it was unclear at publication time whether anyone was seriously injured.

(Patch file photo/Maggie Avants)