Three people have died and two California Highway Patrol officers are hospitalized following a crash on South Bound Interstate 5 Tuesday morning. The crash happened just outside of Sacramento in San Joaquin County near Peltier Road around 2:30 am. CHP reports the officers were sitting in a patrol vehicle on the shoulder when they were rear-ended by a passing car. After the collision, driver of that car lost control of the vehicle, plowing into trees. The car caught fire and three people inside died.
The impact from the crash shoved the CHP vehicle off the road and into a dirt embankment. The officers suffered major injuries and were flown to a nearby hospital. The CHP officers were parked on the shoulder were reportedly there to guard a semitruck that had been broken down overnight, awaiting a tow truck when the crash occurred. CHP Stockton said it is unknown at this time if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash.