A man and a woman who went to help a driver who had crashed on Interstate 15 near Fallbrook early Thursday were killed when a third car ran into the passenger side of the vehicle, a California Highway Patrol officer said.
The crash and resulting cleanup and investigation forced the closure of northbound I-15 for several hours. All lanes reopened shortly before 9 a.m.
The incident began around 4:10 a.m. on the freeway north of state Route 76 when a 21-year-old man driving a Honda CR-V ran into the back of a Toyota Sienna in one of the middle lanes, said CHP Officer Hunter Gerber. Investigators said they believe the CR-V driver was intoxicated.
The CR-V driver then lost control and ran into the center median, sending his disabled vehicle into a middle lane.
Two good Samaritans each pulled over and went to render aid. They were standing on the driver’s side of the CR-V when a driver in a Honda Civic traveling north struck the passenger side of the CR-V, Gerber said.
The impact killed the two pedestrians. Their names were not immediately released.
In all, four injured people were transported to a hospital.
“All other involved parties sustained minor to moderate injuries,” Gerber said in a news release. “The preliminary investigation indicates the driver of the Honda CR-V was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the initial crash.”