A deadly three-vehicle collision on State Route 67 killed five people Friday and sparked a brush fire just north of Poway Road, prompting a full closure of the rural highway for most of the day.
The crash happened shortly after 12:30 PM near Iron Mountain Drive, on a stretch of highway with no solid median and freeway-like speeds. Two vehicles caught fire in the brush just off the west shoulder, while a third—badly mangled—remained in the roadway. One vehicle had been sent into the dry vegetation, triggering a one-acre fire that required aerial retardant drops to contain.
Emergency responders arrived quickly, but all five occupants of the involved vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not yet been released pending notification of next of kin.
The Sheriff’s Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Team is investigating and has obtained video footage to determine what led to the crash.
Media Restricted, Questions Raised
Reporters from SD Slackers, NBC/Telemundo, and Univision were on scene but were ordered to stop filming and moved roughly 100 feet away by a Sheriff’s deputy, who cited a “crime scene” but gave no legal justification. Media remained restricted for hours—long after tow trucks were brought in to remove vehicles from the site. Caltrans crews, who were assisting with the closure, had full access throughout the day, as did firefighters, EMS, and the medical examiner.
Despite repeated calls to the Sheriff’s Media Line, no information was released to the public until after 5 PM.
SR-67 remained closed from Scripps Poway Parkway to Poway Road throughout the afternoon. Drivers were forced to detour via Wildcat Canyon Road through the Barona area to reach Ramona or East County.
