SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - A San Diego police officer and Transportation Security Administration agent were hospitalized after a fiery crash on Interstate 5 near Nestor Sunday, authorities confirmed.
The crash happened around 5 a.m. on the southbound lanes of I-5 near Palm and Coronado avenues.
The officer's vehicle struck a Dodge Challenger driven by a TSA agent. The police cruiser caught fire, but the officer was able to get out safely.
Residents living nearby described the explosive impact to News 8. The fiery crash along I-5 was so loud it woke Emily Bella and her family up from their condo nearly a hundred feet away.
"We immediately ran and looked out the window and saw what happened. Suddenly there's a little flame, and then it started to grow big," she said.
Preliminary reports indicate the officer may have lost control and collided with a Dodge Challenger.
The impact caused severe damage to both vehicles, especially the police cruiser, which exploded in flames.
"Vehicle is on fire. 10-4. Vehicle is on fire."
The agent, seen on video tape wearing a neck brace, as well as the officer suffered injuries. They were serious enough to require both be transported to the hospital.
While the CHP has not said what caused the crash, Danny Thornton claims to have heard brakes go off before it happened.
"I heard screeching, then I heard crash, crunch, metal," he said.
Danny, who like Emily was awakened by the noise, says based on what he saw, he's amazed the people involved survived.
"You know, the fire came up so quickly, that I thought, no one would have been able to get out in time," he said.