EL CAJON (Calif.) — A suspected DUI driver crashed into the concrete landscaping wall of El Cajon’s newly built roundabout at El Cajon Boulevard and Johnson Avenue early Monday, injuring three people and damaging a centerpiece of the city’s streetscape project.
Police and fire crews were dispatched about 3:16 a.m. to 411 S. Johnson Ave., where a black sedan traveling northeast on El Cajon Boulevard failed to navigate the curve and struck a 2-foot-high sand-colored concrete wall inside the new traffic circle. The vehicle came to rest about 15 feet away after the impact.
Firefighters used tools to open a jammed door and extricate the female driver, who showed signs of intoxication. She and two passengers were transported to local hospitals. A rear passenger was reportedly unbelted and suffered facial trauma; the front passenger was able to walk from the car.
El Cajon police are investigating the crash. The intersection was recently redesigned as part of the El Cajon Boulevard Streetscape Project, which replaced a traffic signal with a single-lane roundabout intended to reduce collisions and improve traffic flow along the 17,000-vehicle-per-day corridor.
Before its completion, some residents voiced concerns online about driver confusion and visibility. One commenter wrote, “Please send out pamphlets on how to properly use a roundabout,” while another called the project a “waste of tax dollars.” Monday’s crash revives debate over whether the design offers adequate guidance and safety features for nighttime drivers.
