[05-29-2024] San Joaquin County, CA – One Person Killed, Two Others Injured After Wrong-Way Driver Caused Two Consecutive Crashes Along I-5

One person was killed, while two others were injured after a wrong-way driver caused two consecutive crashes in Thornton, San Joaquin County, on Wednesday afternoon, May 29, 2024.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the fatal wrong-way crash happened shortly after 4:30 p.m. along the southbound Interstate 5 at Walnut Grove Road near the Sacramento County border.

Officers said that a woman driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck in the northbound lanes of I-50 suddenly crossed over into the southbound lanes for still-unknown reasons. Soon after, she collided with the side of an oncoming semi-truck before slamming head-on into another vehicle.

CHP confirmed that the wrong-way-driving woman suffered fatal injuries as a result of the incident and was pronounced dead at the scene. According to reports, two other individuals were injured from the other vehicles, but their extent of injuries has yet to be disclosed.

The official reason as to why the Ford driver drove the wrong way is still under investigation. It is unclear if drugs or alcohol played a role.

Traffic on southbound I-5 was at a standstill for an extended period as the authorities investigated and cleared up the scene.

Additional information was not immediately available.