SAN DIEGO (CBS 8/CNS) - Two SUVs collided early Thursday on Interstate 5 near Balboa Park, severely injuring two people and temporarily shutting down the southbound lanes.
The crash in the southbound lanes near the off-ramp to state Route 163 was reported shortly after 2 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
According to the CHP, a truck rammed into an SUV that had already crashed on Interstate 5 near the 163 off-ramp.
Four people were inside the SUV, one was trapped. Crews say the nearly hour-long rescue was one of the hardest they've faced.
The driver of the SUV was taken into custody, after a field sobriety test. A caller told the CHP both vehicles overturned.
Authorities closed the southbound freeway lanes shortly after the collision, causing traffic to back up. The southbound lanes were later reopened, according to Caltrans.
Two people involved in the crash were taken to a hospital to be treated for major trauma, a San Diego Fire-Rescue Department dispatcher said.