1 dead and 2 injured after wrong-way driver causes serious accident on I-5 in San Joaquin County

THORNTON – One person died and two others were hospitalized after a crash involving a wrong-way driver on Interstate 5 near the Sacramento-San Joaquin County line Wednesday night, authorities said.

The collision, which involved a tractor-trailer and at least two other smaller trucks, occurred shortly after 4:30 p.m. on the southbound side of I-5 at Walnut Grove Road in the small community of Thornton.

Angel Arceo, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol, said a woman was driving in the northbound lanes and at some point moved into the southbound lane. She first struck the side of an oncoming semi-truck before colliding head-on with the other vehicle.

The woman, who was driving in the wrong direction, died of her injuries at the scene of the accident, said Arceo. It is still unclear how serious the injuries of the two survivors were.

Personnel from the Thornton Fire District responded to the accident. The Woodbridge Fire District, which is southeast of Thornton, said it was called to assist when Thornton firefighters arrived and found a vehicle engulfed in flames.

The reason why the woman crossed into the other lane is still under investigation. Arceo said it is not yet clear whether drugs or alcohol were involved.

Traffic on I-5 southbound was severely disrupted for an extended period of time.

Thornton is a small community in northern San Joaquin County. It is located on the north side of I-5, about 30 miles south of Sacramento and about 22 miles north of Stockton.

“Be alert. It’s summer. For some reason we’re having a lot of accidents right now,” Arceo said. “And wrong-way driving accidents, you don’t expect them sometimes, but be alert. Look ahead because you never know what you’re going to encounter on the road.”