13 Hurt as Van Rolls Off I-15

A van carrying a youth group to Victorville rolled over on a steep mountain highway Friday in the Cajon Pass, injuring 11 children and two adults and leaving 20 miles of traffic stalled on northbound Interstate 15.

Seven teenagers were hurled from the Ford Club Wagon, said California Highway Patrol Sgt. Ed Casillas, adding that three teenagers and the two adults are in critical condition at hospitals. Most suffered broken bones, cuts and scrapes. None of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, he said.

None of the teenagers ejected from the van appeared to be wearing seat belts, Casillas said.

The driver, David Aguilar Camarena, 31, and the other adult, Lavonda Camarena, 50, both of Victorville, were in critical condition at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton, a nursing supervisor said. None of the injured youths was identified.

Eight other children were hospitalized but their injuries were not considered serious, said county fire Capt. Jim Wilkins.

The passenger van was returning from Wasp Lake near the mountain resort of Wrightwood when it spun out of control and rolled over about 3:15 p.m., Wilkins said. “It appears that the left rear tire blew, causing the vehicle to roll,” he said.

As it spun, the van struck an asphalt rain gutter on the shoulder and rolled off the highway, said San Bernardino County Fire Department spokeswoman Tracey Martinez. “Some people stopped immediately and tried offering aid,” she said. “It was a pretty stunning sight.”

The freeway was opened again by 5 p.m.