A vehicle was traveling west on Norrish Road near State Route 115 when it was driving “in the direct lane” of a large truck traveling north on the 115, said Arturo Platero, chief of the California Highway Patrol. The cause of the accident is being investigated.
There were 27 passengers in the SUV who hit a semi-truck full of gravel, said Judy Cruz, the managing director of the emergency department at El Centro Regional Medical Center.
According to her, 14 people died at the scene and another person died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
“Patients are going through a difficult time as you can imagine,” said Adolphe Edward, CEO of El Regional Regional Medical Center. “It was a serious accident and we are taking care of it in the emergency department.”
Imperial County Fire officials said several agencies are responding to the crash, which is considered a mass casualty event.
The site of the crash is in southeastern California about 10 miles east of El Centro and about 10 miles north of the Mexican border.