A woman was hospitalized and a driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI after a Tesla collided with a San Diego Metropolitan Transit System bus near the interchange of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Interstate 15 Monday evening. San Diego police responded to crash reports around 5:55 p.m., and both the bus driver and the Tesla driver walked away from the scene uninjured.
According to 10News, the woman who was hospitalized was transported for treatment, though the extent of her injuries has not been disclosed. It also remains unclear how many people were aboard the bus at the time of the crash. The San Diego Police Department arrested the Tesla driver on suspicion of driving under the influence, per the same report, though no additional details about that driver's identity have been released. As of Tuesday morning, the outlet described the story as still developing.
CBS8 published video of the collision's aftermath. The crash occurred near Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Interstate 15.
A Corridor With a History of Serious Crashes
In October 2025, a multi-vehicle crash on northbound I-15 near the same interchange shut down the freeway and triggered a secondary incident in which a suspected drunk driver struck a California Highway Patrol vehicle that was protecting the scene, according to 619 News Media.
Whether Monday's crash was a rear-end collision hasn't been specified in reporting so far.
What Comes Next Legally
Under California Vehicle Code Section 23153, a DUI that causes bodily injury to another person can be charged as a felony, carrying up to four years in state prison plus certain enhancements, along with license suspension and mandatory restitution, according to the KN Law Firm. Standard DUI charges under a separate section are typically misdemeanors unless aggravated by bodily injury or prior offenses. The charge may be a felony or misdemeanor.
The San Diego Police Department's Traffic Division handles fatal, felony, major-injury, hit-and-run, and police or city-equipment collisions within city limits, per the department's own operations manual filed with the City of San Diego. Serious cases that escalate to felony injury or fatality charges can also be handled by the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
Impaired Driving Remains a Persistent Problem
San Diego County and the city have both seen impaired-driving crashes.
The crash also lands on a transit system that has been carrying more riders than at any point since the pandemic. San Diego MTS logged 81,181,071 total passenger boardings in Fiscal Year 2025, recovering more than 95% of its pre-pandemic ridership, according to Metro Magazine. MTS operates fixed-route bus service in southern San Diego County.
