3 Killed, Including 2 U.S. Navy Sailors, in California Motorcycle Accident
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sailors’ families, friends and coworkers," a Navy spokesman told PEOPLE
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Stock image of a motorcycle crashThree people, including two U.S. Navy sailors, are dead after a multi-vehicle crash near California's Camp Pendleton on Thursday, June 27, ABC 7, Los Angeles Times, and CBS 8 report.
The sailors have been identified as 37-year-old Stephen Jermaine Williams, who was stationed in San Diego; and 28-year-old Jess Lee Davis, who was assigned to the USS Alexandria (SSN 757), also in San Diego.
“The Navy family mourns the loss of two shipmates in Thursday’s traffic accident," Brian O’Rourke, Navy spokesman, said in a statement to PEOPLE. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sailors’ families, friends and coworkers, and we ask they be afforded privacy during this difficult time.”
The third victim has not been identified as of publication.
The fatal pileup occurred on Interstate 5 after a Jeep hit a guardrail around 3 a.m. local time. A car that was passing by then struck the Jeep, and the car flipped over, California Highway Patrol said, per CBS 8.
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Traffic jam on Las Pulgas Rd, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, San Diego County, CaliforniaRelated: Patagonia Honors Climber, 38, Who Died on Mount Fuji 3 Years After Near-Fatal Heart Attack
A group of four motorcyclists driving closely behind plowed into the Jeep and the other vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, before catching on fire, CHP reported, according to ABC 7.
The agency added that people who were riding in the Jeep sustained life-threatening injuries, CBS 8 reports. The driver and a second person inside the other car are being treated for minor to moderate injuries.
I-5 was closed from Las Pulgas Road, which is at Exit 62, to 76/Coast Highway at Exit 54. Drivers were advised to stay away from the area as CHP investigated.
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The lanes were reopened later Thursday morning, ABC 7 reports.
PEOPLE reached out to CHP for comment.
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