Three people died Sunday in a fiery head-on collision on Interstate 5 near Encinitas caused by a wrong-way driver traveling at high-speeds from the U.S. -Mexico border, California Highway Patrol confirmed.
A Mercedes driver made a U-turn while crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and continued traveling northbound on the southbound side of I-5, CHP spokesperson Jim Bettencourt said.
A U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle attempted to follow the Mercedes but could not keep up as it was driving at "extremely high rates of speed," Bettencourt said.
CHP received a call from CBP officials but officers could not find the vehicle on I-5 before it collided head-on with a Chrysler between Manchester Avenue and Loma Santa Fe Drive at 3:10 a.m.
The two vehicles burst into flames killing one person in the Mercedes and two in the Chrysler. One vehicle overturned.
"The crash was pretty horrific," Bettencourt said. "We have a long way to go. We need to make sure that we get everything accomplished that we can to ensure the best possible investigation for these people that were traveling in the right direction."
The victims were a man and a woman driving a rental car. Plane tickets were found inside.
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Officials are still trying to identify the people involved in the crash.
As of 10:04 a.m. Sunday lanes were finally open to traffic.
Loma Santa Fe Drive is located approximately 39 miles north of the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
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