2 Killed, 22 Hurt in Chain-Reaction Accident on I-5

Two people were killed and 22 injured Thursday night when a tractor-trailer truck struck a van, causing a chain-reaction accident involving several other vans on northbound Interstate 5, just south of the San Clemente immigration checkpoint.

The driver of the truck was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Killed in the accident were two middle-aged Dutch tourists who suffered broken necks, CHP spokesman Jerry Bohrer said. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

Those injured in the pileup were taken to five hospitals in Orange and San Diego counties by three Life Flight helicopters and eight ambulances, Bohrer said.

The driver of the truck was identified as Neil Adams, 33, of Campbell, Santa Clara County. He was booked into the Vista jail on suspicion of felony drunk driving and manslaughter, Bohrer said.

An employee at the jail said Adams’ bail was set at $10,000.

The accident occurred at 6:45 p.m. a quarter-mile south of the Border Patrol checkpoint. Traffic was running smoothly at the time, Bohrer said.

Adams tried to pass another truck in the outside lane and struck one of the vans, which then hit the three over vehicles in a chain reaction, Bohrer said.

The two--possibly three--vans of Dutch tourists were returning to the Los Angeles area from a visit to San Diego. The van in which the two tourists were killed contained a post card with the San Diego skyline.

Mike Roth, who works for advertising services at the Orange County Edition of The Times, witnessed the accident from behind.

“Two semis jackknifed, and that started a chain reaction of maybe 20 vehicles including other semis. There was a tan and another striped van and they were really smashed up.”

“There were a lot of people that were hurt . . . a lot of metal all over the place, a lot of skid marks and glass everywhere and a lot of people crying and hugging each other.”

Immediately after the accident, northbound Interstate 5 was shut down for an hour, and traffic was rerouted onto Las Pulgas Road and through Camp Pendleton into Orange County.

Traffic was backed up on Interstate 5 for more than 15 miles and three hours, Bohrer said. Officials reopened the highway at 11:15 p.m. The injured were sent to five nearby hospitals. They were:

- Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, which received two seriously injured motorists.

- Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, which received two Dutch tourists. Their names are Laurens Beveren and Rita Ooms, ages unknown.

- Sharp Memorial Hospital, which received two seriously injured motorists.

- Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside and San Clemente General Hospital, which received several injured each.

Times staff members Bob Schwartz, Tina Cravat, Brian Steffens, Mark Boster and Dave Gatley contributed to this report.