[LA MESA Sun Mar 15, 12:45 p.m.]
A solo crash into a commercial building sparked a vehicle fire Sunday afternoon in La Mesa.
Fire crews were dispatched to the 5800 block of Amaya Drive around 12:45 p.m. after callers reported flames against a building, initially prompting a response for a working commercial structure fire.
When firefighters arrived, they found a white sedan fully engulfed in flames near the front of the building. The fire was contained to the vehicle and did not spread into the structure.
Evidence at the scene indicated the car had been traveling eastbound on Amaya Drive before leaving the roadway and striking hardscaping and a block wall near the property frontage. Concrete masonry blocks were scattered around the impact area, and the burned vehicle came to rest on landscaping near the building.
The driver exited the vehicle before the fire intensified. Bystanders helped move him away from the immediate area The 45-year-old man suffered burn injuries and possible head trauma and was transported to a hospital for evaluation.
The crash briefly closed westbound lanes of Amaya Drive near Water Street before traffic reopened about 40 minutes later. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
