A series of collisions involving multiple vehicles, including a bus and a tractor-trailer, tied up Interstate 15 for miles Tuesday after the initial crashes near Lake Hodges blocked several lanes and left one person injured.
The accident in the southbound lanes near Via Rancho Parkway in Escondido occurred about 9:15 a.m. and soon caused heavy backups north to to Citracado Parkway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Medics took at least one person to Palomar Medical Center for treatment. The extent of the person’s injuries was not released.
The wreck left a carpool lane and another southbound lane closed, along with the onramps from Via Rancho Parkway and Del Lago Boulevard. In addition to Lake Hodes, the busy area includes the Westfield North County shopping center and Kit Carson Park.
The CHP issued a congestion alert for the area and it took more than two hours to clear lanes and get traffic moving again.
By shortly before 11:30 a.m., all lanes had been reopened, with the exception of the Via Rancho Parkway entrance to I-15.
– City News Service