The collision on westbound SR-905 was reported just after 2:20 p.m. on October 22, 2004, according to the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department. The first SDFD crew arrived around fifteen minutes later.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection released little details about the pursuit. However, the California Highway Patrol, which is one of several agencies investigating the crash, said a four-door Infiniti G35 was driving at a high rate of speed when it crashed into a Caltrans truck that was parked on the side of the road. The car rolled over at least once and landed on its top.
CHP investigators originally said two people were in the car, and on Wednesday said there were three. One was found dead after being thrown from the sedan, and the other was taken to Mercy Hospital in Hillcrest to be treated for critical injuries. CBP later confirmed a second fatality.
State Road 905 is just one of several major freeways that crisscross Otay Mesa, the second-least-walkable neighborhood in San Diego.
This community is located less than two miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border and almost due north of downtown Tijuana. As a result, Otay Mesa has one of the busiest border crossing facilities in the country. It includes one of the largest immigrant detention centers in the country.
The community may have a low walkability rating, but the Cross Border Xpress (CBX) pedestrian bridge crosses directly to the main terminal of Tijuana International Airport. This crossing has a 45,000-square-foot facility in Otay Mesa. It was established by Otay-Tijuana Ventures LLC, had a cost of $78 million, and opened in 2015. To alleviate traffic at these crossings, the new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry, two miles to the east, is planned to be in service as early as 2028.
In addition, five major law enforcement facilities are located in an unincorporated area in the Otay Mesa region: the state’s Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, the Otay Mesa Detention Center, privately operated by CoreCivic, the George Bailey County Detention facility, the East Mesa Detention facility, which is operated by the City of San Diego, and a multi-jurisdictional law enforcement firearms training complex used by the FBI, the Customs Service, and local police forces.