JULIAN — A head-on collision and vehicle fire near Julian on Monday morning left one person dead and four others injured, including three critically, according to authorities.
The California Highway Patrol and Cal Fire responded around 7 a.m. to the 3400 block of Pine Hills Road, where they found one of the vehicles fully engulfed in flames, Cal Fire Capt. Mike Cornette told City News Service.
The crash occurred in a rural area southwest of Julian, south of state Route 79.
One person was dead when first responders arrived, according to Cornette, who said three people were hospitalized in critical condition and another suffered moderate injuries.
The CHP’s online Traffic Incident Information Page indicated one of the victims may have suffered a broken ankle.
Deputies from the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office assisted with road closures along Pine Hills Road, according to a lieutenant with the agency’s watch commander’s office.
A spokesperson for the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office told CNS there was no immediate information available regarding the crash.
The cause of the collision has not been released.
Firefighters prevented the vehicle fire from spreading into nearby vegetation.
