Two men died early Friday when a wrong-way driver caused a crash on Interstate 5 just north of Little Italy.
At approximately 2:59 a.m., a blue Dodge Durango and a white Honda CRV collided on southbound I-5, south of Laurel Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The 56-year-old driver of the Dodge, a man from El Cajon, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the Honda, a 62-year-old male, was transported to UCSD Medical Center where he died of his injuries about an hour after the crash.
Authorities identified the Honda driver as Jesus Verduzco of Bonita. The name of the Dodge driver is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
A toxicology report is expected from the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office to determine if alcohol/and or drugs were factor in the crash.
The CHP said a wrong-way driver caused the crash, but the agency did not indicate which car had been traveling north on the I-5’s southbound side.
The cause is under investigation by CHP San Diego Area office. Investigators asks any members of the public who witnessed this crash to contact CHP San Diego Area at (858) 293-6000.
The crash forced officials to divert traffic at Washington Street and shutdown the Kettner Boulevard on-ramp, according to Caltrans. All lanes were closed temporarily, with two lanes re-opened to traffic by 5:30 a.m. and all opened about an hour later.
Updated 5:05 p.m. May 29, 2026
