Devastating Head-On Crash in Vista CA, San Diego County

On August 2, 2024, emergency responders rushed three people to local hospitals following a high-speed, head-on wreck.

The incident happened near South Santa Fe Avenue and Smilax Road at around 8:20 p.m. The collision is believed to be DUI-related, according to Lt. David Chandroo with the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.

The sheriff’s department did not provide information regarding the extent of the victims’ injuries but said there are no fatalities at this time.

Vista is one of the oldest communities in the San Diego area. Much of Vista’s current territory was once part of the Mexican land grants Rancho Buena Vista and Rancho Guajome. A post office was established on October 9, 1882, and Vista was incorporated as a city on January 28, 1963, later becoming a charter city on June 13, 2007.

The community was a tiny, struggling agricultural community due to the lack of water until housing booms between the 1970s and 2000s pushed the population of Vista to nearly 100,000 people.

Additionally, many light manufacturing businesses moved into Vista beginning in the 1980s, and with the founding of several breweries in the 21st century, Vista has become a significant element in the San Diego craft beer phenomenon.