8 Injured as Bus Skids on Slick Freeway

A rash of morning fender benders accompanied early morning showers in San Diego Sunday, including an Immigration and Naturalization Service bus which went out of control and injured eight.

The bus, loaded with 60 illegal aliens being transported back to Mexico from San Clemente, went out of control on Interstate 805 near San Ysidro Boulevard, skidded into the center divider and then crossed over four southbound lanes of the freeway before coming to rest on the shoulder of the road.

Eight persons, including the bus driver, William Real, 61, and another INS officer, were taken to Chula Vista hospitals for treatment. None of the injuries was major, a San Diego police spokesman said.

In another South San Diego accident, two San Diego police cars were damaged when a truck stopped in front of them at Virginia Avenue and East San Ysidro Boulevard. One of the police cars struck the rear of the other, pushing that vehicle into the rear of the truck. No one was reported injured in the accident, police reported.

A California Highway Patrol spokeswoman said that dozens of minor accidents were reported during the morning rain around San Diego County, but no major injuries or accidents occurred. She said that the accident rate was normal for a rainy day because the pavement becomes slick when the accumulated oil on the roadways is brought to the surface by the rain.

Scattered showers brought .40 of an inch of rainfall to Julian, .27 to Ramona and .22 to Alpine. Coastal areas reported .10 of an inch or less.

The National Weather Service forecast is for continued breezy, cloudy and cool weather with a 30% to 40% chance of showers today.