A head-on collision and vehicle fire near Julian this morning left one person dead and four others injured, including three critically, according to authorities.
The California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire responded to the 3400 block of Pine Hills Road at about 7 a.m. Monday, where they found one of the vehicles fully engulfed in fire, Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette told City News Service.
The scene of the crash was in a rural area southwest of Julian, south of state Route 79. The crash closed both lanes of the two-lane road at Pine Hills Road South at Deer Lake Park Road starting at around 7 a.m. By about noon, the lanes were still closed, according to Sigalert.
One person was dead when first responders arrived on the scene, according to Cornette, who said three people were hospitalized in critical condition and another one was hospitalized with moderate injuries.
The CHP online Traffic Incident Information Page indicated one of the victims might have suffered a broken ankle.
Deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist in closing Pine Hills Road, according to a lieutenant at the SDSO watch commander’s office.
A spokesman for the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office told CNS he did not have any immediate information regarding the crash.
The cause of the collision was not released.
Firefighters kept the vehicle fire from spreading into nearby vegetation.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information arrives.