US Navy confirms death of two sailors in chain reaction crash near Camp Pendleton

Two motorcyclists who died in a serious rear-end crash on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton on Thursday morning were active sailors, the U.S. Navy confirmed Friday.

The couple were traveling south on Freeway 5 shortly after 3 a.m. when they collided with two other motorcyclists in other crashed vehicles, the California Highway Patrol said.

For reasons still to be determined, the driver of a Jeep Wrangler lost control on the southbound side of Freeway 5, left the freeway and struck a railing near Las Pulgas Road. The vehicle then came to a stop and was on the side of the road, according to Officer Jake Sanchez of the CHP.

Shortly afterwards, a driver of a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter crashed into the Jeep, causing it to overturn onto its side. Then the four motorcyclists following behind crashed into the van and the Jeep. The resulting impact sparked a fire, according to authorities.

Three of the four motorcyclists were killed, the CHP said. Two of them were sailors based in Southern California, according to Brian O’Rourke, a U.S. Navy spokesman.

The cause of the accident is still under investigation. The names of the accident victims have not yet been released by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office.