California Highway Patrol Officers Injured in Freeway Vehicle Explosion
Two officers sustained burns after a car ignited during a roadside stop on Interstate 215.
Two California Highway Patrol officers were hospitalized Sunday after a vehicle they were attending to on the shoulder of Interstate 215 in Moreno Valley exploded, engulfing them in flames. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. when officers responded to a disabled 2007 Toyota Camry.
As the officers were speaking with the driver of the Camry, the vehicle suddenly burst into flames. Both officers suffered minor to moderate injuries and were transported to Riverside University Medical Center. Officials expect them to make full recoveries.
The driver of the Camry, who a California Highway Patrol spokesperson indicated may have been driving under the influence, and a companion who was assisting him, were not injured in the explosion. The driver was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and booked into the Robert Presley Jail. His companion was not taken into custody.
Fire crews from the Riverside County Fire Department responded to extinguish the blaze, which was contained before it could spread to nearby vegetation. The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation.