Three people were killed Monday morning when a driver plowed into nine people in a tunnel near San Diego City College in downtown San Diego.
The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department said first-responders were called to the 1400 block of B Street at 9:05 a.m. and arrived at the scene within with minutes. The location a tunnel leading to the college, east of Park Boulevard and west of Interstate 5. The tunnel is beneath a bridge, also near the campus’ Curran Plaza.
SkyRanger 7 flew over the incident downtown on March 15, 2021.
More than 60 first-responders were initially assigned to the scene, as were five SDFD engines and a helicopter. SDPD officers and patrol cars could be seen lining B Street, both inside the tunnel and at the entrance and exit.
“Our crews found, obviously, a tragic incident under the bridge,” SDFD Chief Colin Stowell said.
Raw footage from the scene of a crash in downtown near San Diego City College on March 15, 2021.
The chief confirmed three people had died at the scene. He said there were nine total patients; five were taken to local hospitals following the crash. At least two patients were in critical condition, San Diego Police Department Chief David Nisleit added.
Stowell described the scene of the deadly crash as “a very tragic emergency and incident that impacts all of us.”
Nisleit said police received multiple 911 calls about the crash just after 9 a.m. When officers arrived, they saw “multiple people down” in the tunnel.
Nisleit said the driver – who had been in a Volvo station wagon – identified himself to police officers. Nisleit said he was detained at the scene.
The police chief said 71-year-old man – is suspected of driving while impaired.
Nisleit said police had received a radio call minutes before the deadly crash reporting a vehicle matching the description of the Volvo that hit the pedestrians.
Nisleit said that call is part of the ongoing investigation and could not give specifics yet about what was reported in that call regarding the Volvo.
“It appears to be the same car,” he explained.
The SDPD is looking for any video surveillance that may have captured the Volvo in the moments leading up to the crash along B Street, Nisleit said.
The chief said the driver of the Volvo was traveling westbound on B Street near 15th Street when he lost control and began veering to the right.
“It went completely up onto the sidewalk, struck the multiple pedestrians there, then came back onto the roadway and came back to stop in the very No. 1 lane, just before you exit the tunnel,” he explained.
Nisleit said the driver walked over to the victims and police heard from witnesses that the driver tried to help some of those who were hurt. When he saw officers arrive at the scene, the driver identified himself.
The victims who were hit by the car were on the north sidewalk. The chief said some were in or near tents and belongings. Homeless San Diegans are known to use the tunnel as shelter, although Nisleit could not confirm if the victims were homeless.
“To those families [of those who] have passed, my deepest condolences,” Nisleit said.
Nisleit said there is no information yet on the names or ages of the victims.
He said the area would be closed for the rest of the day as detectives continued their investigation and advised motorists to find alternate routes.
Raw footage from the scene of a crash in downtown near San Diego City College on March 15, 2021.
‘Like Something You See in a Movie Scene’: Witnesses Describe Deadly Crash
Witness Ronnie Williams was walking in the area near the crash scene when, suddenly, he heard what he described as a “loud bang or, like a boom.”
“That’s when it happened really fast,” Williams told NBC 7. “I turned around and I saw yellow headlights and next thing you know, I was almost getting sucked under the car. And then I managed to pull my leg out from under the car right here.”
“You could see everything popping up, going in the air, dragging, it was, it was very loud. It was like something you see in a movie scene,” he added.
He said the driver pulled over to the right and stopped the car.
Williams suffered some scratches to his legs but did not need to be hospitalized.
He was grateful he wasn’t hurt worse.
Williams said he thinks the crash happened in about 10 seconds. He said the driver took out three tents lined along the sidewalk at first, then a few more.
“It was a slow 10 seconds,” he said. “It was quick, but it was slow. I could see everything; I could hear everything; I could feel everything. I could hear myself thinking to myself like, ‘Do you want to die or not?’”
He got himself out of harm’s way quickly and walked to the other side of tunnel. He knows he got lucky.
“It was kind of like a nightmare a little bit, you know. Obviously, I made it through, but some people didn’t,” said Williams, adding that he knew some of the victims.
Williams said after the crash, everything got very, very loud.
“Everybody screaming in pain and in agony,” he said. “You could tell they were hurt, like for real, for real.”
Witness Michael Luke is homeless and told NBC 7 a lot of people use the tunnel for shelter – especially on cold, rainy days like Monday. Luke said people often sleep under there in tents.
Luke said he saw the driver right after the crash looking very distraught. He said the driver walked away from the car and waited for police to arrive before being taken away in handcuffs.