1 dead, 2 in critical condition after highway crash near Poway

One person died and eight were injured Sunday morning in a three-vehicle highway crash in northern San Diego.

The incident left two people in critical condition, according to Jeff Mitchell, a battalion chief with the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. Six others had minor injuries.

Public records show the crash was first reported a little before 9 a.m. on the southbound portion of Interstate 15, near San Diego’s Carmel Mountain Ranch neighborhood. First responders found three people trapped in vehicles, and rescuers had to use hydraulic tools to get them out, Mitchell said.

More details about the victims were not immediately available.

The incident closed several lanes north of Camino Del Norte, according to the California Department of Transportation. Officials had fully re-opened the highway by about 1 p.m.

Traffic crashes are investigated by California Highway Patrol. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.