Shortly before 1 AM today, a speeding Jeep lost control on a Chula Vista freeway interchange, vaulted off the SR-54 to I-5 connector and plunged into the Sweetwater River, killing two people, authorities said. A good Samaritan and a Chula Vista police officer tried to reach the submerged vehicle but could not get to the occupants, and the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office was called to the scene. Officials have not released the victims’ names.
The California Highway Patrol and Chula Vista police responded after a witness reported seeing the Jeep travel westbound on SR-54, transition to southbound I-5, and then go off the overpass “with sparks flying” before hitting the water, according to NBC 7 San Diego. No other vehicles were involved, the CHP said, and authorities shut down the SR-54/I-5 interchange in the immediate aftermath. The closure was lifted by 7:30 AM.
“A good Samaritan and a Chula Vista police officer made unsuccessful attempts to rescue the driver and passenger,” the CHP said, per NBC 7 San Diego. The agency said drunk driving was suspected of contributing to the crash, and investigators are examining both speed and possible impairment as factors.
Where the crash happened
The Jeep went over the overpass where SR-54 meets I-5 above the Sweetwater River, a stretch Caltrans lists for abutment repairs in its 2024 SHOPP plan. That notation underscores the age and maintenance needs of the bridge that carries the SR-54/I-5 connector…