Four teenage friends were seriously injured after being thrown from a minivan that crashed on an El Cajon street Monday and burst into flames.
The crash happened in the 1500 block of Avocado Avenue. El Cajon police say officers and paramedics responded to witness reports of a crash involving a Toyota minivan that was traveling northbound on Avocado Avenue at a high rate of speed. The driver apparently lost control, veered off the roadway, slammed a rock wall embankment and rolled over.
The van caught fire and also ignited a nearby wooden utility pole, but responding firefighters were able to quickly douse the flames.
Police said they have not determined if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash. No other vehicles were involved.
The crash and investigation forced the closure of both directions of Avocado Avenue from E. Chase Avenue to Skywood Drive. The roadway was reopened at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday.
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