MT. SHASTA: At least 3 dead after I-5 fiery wreck involving RV, pickup truck

MT. SHASTA — At least three people died in a fiery wreck involving a motor home and full size pickup truck earlier this afternoon in Mt. Shasta, according to California Highway Patrol officials. The deadly crash happened on I-5, just south of the N. Mount Shasta Blvd. on ramp, behind Mt. Shasta City Park.

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CHP, Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, Cal Fire, Mount Shasta Fire, and other emergency first responders, were dispatched to the area just before 1 p.m., after receiving reports of two vehicles that had collided, tumbled over an embankment, and burst into flames, according to CHP Officer Hoskins and a CHP incident log.

An RV and pickup burst into flames after colliding and tumbling off I-5, behind Mt. Shasta City Park this afternoon. Cascade Firewatch photo

At about the same time CHP received several 911 calls from park-goers at Mt. Shasta City Park reporting the accident and subsequent fire, CHP’s incident log indicated.

911 callers reported seeing a “huge plume” of thick, choking, black smoke billowing from the wrecked vehicles and also reported at least one explosion, believed to have been the RV’s propane tank igniting.

When officials arrived at the scene, they found a motor home and pickup truck down a steep embankment between the west side of the park and the freeway. Both vehicles were fully engulfed in flames, which had spread to nearby vegetation and trees.

Firefighters immediately began an aggressive fire attack and soon knocked down the vehicle and vegetation fire. Despite quickly extinguishing the blaze, both vehicles were completely destroyed by the intense fire.

After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters made a preliminary search of the two vehicles and surrounding area and discovered the charred remains of three victims. One of the victims was found inside the pickup truck and two were discovered inside the RV, according to Hoskins, who said the fatality count could climb after a closer inspection of the vehicles is completed.

Officials have not released the names, genders, or ages of the victims, pending further investigation, positive identification, and notification of the victim’s families.

Although one official said from the scene that the condition of the victim’s bodies could hamper identification of the victims, officers were using the vehicles’ license plates and VIN numbers to establish who might have been driving them at the time of the crash.

Based on the circumstances, CHP’s Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team (MAIT) responded to the scene and assumed the accident investigation.

Facebook’s Cascade Firewatch posted photos of the fatal collision shortly and fire after spotting a thick plume of smoke billowing hundreds of feet into the air above the forest tree line. Cascade Firewatch photo

During their preliminary on-scene investigation, MAIT officers determined the vehicles had been heading north on I-5 when, for an unknown reason, the two vehicles collided just south of  North Mount Shasta Boulevard, according to Officer Hoskins.

Matthew Shelburne later shared on social media that he was at Mt. Shasta City Park with his family when they heard the tremendous crash. Saying the scene was an “absolute nightmare” Shelburne explained he was next to the “old playground” when the accident sent the vehicles tumbling off the highway.

“My sister and I started running towards it,” Shelburne explained. “But about halfway there the fire and flames were too large to get even near it.”

Officers investigating the cause of the crash requested Caltrans officials to the scene to assist with a partial closure of the northbound side of the freeway. Caltrans later issued two releases regarding the ongoing investigation and traffic conditions, including that traffic through the area was experiencing “significant delays” of up to two hours in both directions.

ALERT: NB I-5 SIS 5, just south of North Mount Shasta Blvd On-ramp, traffic collision involving a motorhome vs pick-up. Fire has been put out. Fire has not spread. Traffic is still moving, but expect DELAYS both northbound and southbound.

— Caltrans District 2 (@CaltransD2) August 12, 2018

UPDATE: I-5 north of Dunsmuir is experiecing significant delays due to a traffic collision. Expect minimum two hour delay in both directions. PLEASE DO NOT TAKE side roads. REMINDER: SR 299 is CLOSED in Fall River Mills due to the Hat Fire.

— Caltrans District 2 (@CaltransD2) August 12, 2018

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Cascade Firewatch photo

Cascade Firewatch photo

Cascade Firewatch photo

Cascade Firewatch is dedicated to keeping you informed of wildfires in and around the areas of Oregon and Northern California. Cascade Firewatch is a brand of Gailey Company, LLC. and a sister company to Klamath Falls News and Brian Gailey Photography. Visit Cascade Firewatch on Facebook or online for more information.

Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 47, recently moved to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and The Mountain Echo in Shasta County.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.