RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Two California Highway Patrol officers were engulfed in flames when a disabled vehicle suddenly exploded on the shoulder of Interstate 215 on Sunday afternoon, sending both to the hospital with burn injuries while the driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence.
The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. on Oct. 25 on the northbound 215 Freeway in the Moreno Valley area, just south of the transition to the 60 Freeway. According to CHP spokesman Officer Javier Navarro, a 2007 Toyota Camry had broken down in the travel lanes after the driver, who was allegedly under the influence, experienced unspecified difficulties. The driver and a friend then pushed the sedan onto the right shoulder as two CHP units arrived on scene.
Navarro said the two officers were standing near the unoccupied Toyota and speaking with the driver when “an explosion occurred, causing the officers to be engulfed in flames.” Both sustained minor to moderate burn injuries. The driver and his friend were not hurt.
Dramatic video circulating online shows a sudden, massive fireball erupting from the vehicle near CHP units on the freeway shoulder, with thick black smoke billowing as firefighters respond. Riverside County Fire Department crews reached the location within minutes and extinguished the blaze, which did not spread to nearby vegetation.
The officers were transported to Riverside University Medical Center for treatment. CHP officials said they are expected to fully recover with no long-term complications. The driver was booked into the Robert Presley Jail on suspicion of DUI; his friend was not arrested. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Witnesses with information are asked to contact the Riverside CHP at (951) 324-7210.
The incident underscores the dangers law enforcement officers face when responding to roadside emergencies involving potentially unstable vehicles. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the explosion.
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