A crash between a truck and a sedan shut down parts of Interstate 5 in San Diego for much of Tuesday, October 20, after the truck crossed the freeway's center divider near the Washington Street off-ramp in the Mission Hills area, according to the California Highway Patrol as reported by CDLLife and NBC 7 San Diego.

CHP said the collision was reported at about 9:44 a.m. on northbound I-5. The truck ended up straddling the center divider, with part of the vehicle hanging into the southbound side, and fuel spilled across the roadway. San Diego Fire-Rescue spokesperson Candace Hadley said the truck's cab was burning when firefighters arrived, according to local reporting cited by NBC 7 and FOX 5 San Diego. Four people travelling in the sedan were taken to hospital with various injuries; their conditions were not immediately released. Two people from the truck were evaluated at the scene and declined hospital treatment. Local reports citing CHP said the truck driver was ejected into the freeway lanes and a passenger was helped out through a window.

The closure quickly backed up one of San Diego's main north-south arteries. CHP diverted southbound traffic off I-5 at Sassafras Street, and the San Diego Union-Tribune reported major delays lasting several hours. Caltrans sent a hazardous-materials crew for the fuel spill, crews covered the fuel with dirt, and a crane was brought in to remove the truck, FOX 5 reported. CHP said the truck driver's company was responsible for the cleanup, while Caltrans handled repairs to the damaged divider railing.

By about 4:15 p.m., all southbound lanes had reopened, but several northbound lanes near Washington Street remained closed into the evening while cleanup and repairs continued, according to the Union-Tribune and FOX 5. The cause of the collision had not been determined, and CHP had released no further information on the sedan's occupants. I-5 is a key corridor for truckers moving freight between San Diego, Los Angeles and California's Central Valley. (Sources: CDLLife citing CHP and NBC 7 San Diego; FOX 5 San Diego/KUSI and the San Diego Union-Tribune as reported by local outlets; Particle News summary of the incident.)