Truck Goes Off San Diego Bridge Into Crowd Below; 4 Killed
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Four people were killed and nine were injured on Saturday after an out-of-control pickup truck plunged off the San Diego-Coronado Bridge and plowed into crowd gathered at a festival below, authorities said.
The truck driver, who was alone in the vehicle, struck a guardrail and fell 60 feet before landing on Chicano Park, California Highway Patrol Officer Jake Sanchez said. He was taken to the hospital with major injuries and will be arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence causing deaths and injuries, the officer said.
His name has not been released.
"It's horrific. We had many people down here having a good time and now they're gone," Sanchez said.
Eight people on the ground were injured. One suffered major trauma and seven others had minor to moderate injuries, said Lee Swanson, a spokesman for the city's Fire-Rescue Department.
Witnesses said the truck landed on a vendor tent set up for La Raza Run, a motorcycle ride that ends with a celebration at the park and typically draws hundreds of participants.
Photos from the scene show the truck's front end was crushed and its hood popped open.
The park is located beneath the bridge in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood in central San Diego.
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