A multi-vehicle crash at the intersection of West Lilac Road and Old Highway 395 in Bonsall trapped one occupant inside a vehicle and sent another to the hospital early Thursday morning, marking the second severe collision at that same rural junction in less than two weeks. The wreck, reported around 6:30 a.m., involved a gray sedan and a gray Honda; dispatch logs also noted a possible third vehicle, which was not identified.
Medical personnel aboard Medic 114 transported one person to Palomar Medical Center with injuries of unknown severity, according to Village News. Fire crews worked to free a second occupant who remained trapped inside a vehicle at the scene, the outlet reported, while Sunshine Tow was called in to help clear the wreckage. The emergency response slowed traffic and caused localized delays near the intersection as crews continued rescue and cleanup work.
Palomar Medical Center Escondido, where the injured driver was taken, is the only designated Level II Trauma Center in northern San Diego County, according to Palomar Health. The facility is a Level II trauma center.
A Second Severe Crash in Under Two Weeks
Thursday's collision comes just 11 days after a fatal two-vehicle crash at the exact same intersection killed 35-year-old David Garcia Flores on September 13, according to The Coast News Group. The back-to-back incidents occurred at the same rural junction.
The intersection was also the site of a fatal rollover in October 2018, when a Toyota sedan and a Ford SUV collided and left one driver dead and two others injured, per the Times of San Diego.
West Lilac Road
West Lilac Road includes a striped two-lane segment, and the San Diego County Board of Supervisors adopted the recertification of a 45 mph speed limit for the segment between Camino del Rey and Old Highway 395 on June 14, 2023, according to county records.
The road also serves as a wildfire evacuation route, according to Voice of San Diego. Emergency response in the area involves the Deer Springs Fire Protection District and the County Fire Authority.
Part of a Rough Stretch for Bonsall
Thursday's crash adds to a string of serious incidents in the unincorporated community.
Earlier this month, a driver was sentenced to nearly 12 years in Vista Superior Court for a fatal DUI crash that killed Ricardo Becerra on nearby Gopher Canyon Road.
It remains unclear whether the California Highway Patrol has identified contributing factors linking the recent cluster of crashes at West Lilac Road and Old Highway 395, or whether San Diego County has scheduled the signal and turn-lane improvements previously identified for the intersection. The final condition of both individuals involved in Thursday's crash had not been released.
