San Diego, CA
Good Samaritan pulls woman from fiery car crash outside his home in La Mesa
A man was startled awake by a fiery car crash in his front yard in La Mesa. Instead of calling police, he jumped into action, pulling a passenger from the burning car.
The accident happened just before 1 a.m. on Baltimore Drive near Laport Street.
Kerry Campbell wasted no time getting his front yard, ordinarily the envy of the neighborhood, back in order. Fourteen hours earlier, it looked more like a bonfire.
“My wife and I hear a loud boom,” Campbell said. “I used one fire extinguisher and realized it wasn’t going to do anything. It felt like it lasted five minutes. Looking at the video, it lasted less than two minutes. I went around to the driver’s side door and pried it open and just pulled her out.”
She is the 25-year-old passenger of an incinerated Toyota Scion that crashed in front of Campbell’s home. Police say her injuries were not life threatening. She may have Campbell to thank for that.
“She was awake but not verbal,” Campbell said. “Clearly injured, but I didn’t see any blood.”
Neighbor Elizabeth Munn was terrified the fire might spread to her home next door.
“I was panicking because I have pets,” Munn said. “I was running in, trying to find them all. The car was almost completely engulfed in flames at that point. It was really scary. In the movies, you see cars on fire that go kaboom.”
Campbell not only pulled the young passenger from her burning car. His doorbell camera video shows that Campbell did it in boxers and bare feet — to his wife’s dismay.
“Kerry, get out of there,” his wife is heard saying in the recording.
How the car got there is a tale with many twists. Witnesses say the Scion was northbound on Baltimore Drive. Some 100 yards from Campbell’s house, the driver lost control, crossed the median and then collided with an evergreen tree in the middle of the road.
The force of the collision was so great, car glass was sprayed on the roof of the home across the street. The Scion barreled the wrong way toward Campbell’s front yard, finally coming to rest after crashing into his palm tree.
“A little emotional afterwards because my wife and kids were inside, and it could have ended up a lot worse,” Campbell said. “I feel good. I feel fortunate.”
Campbell says his actions were reflexive. He wasn’t thinking about it. He just did what needed to be done. He’s had no formal fire training. He was trained as a Marine 26 years ago, and he credits that training for being able to respond when needed.
La Mesa police say the 20-year-old driver remained at the scene and was arrested for driving under the influence.
San Diego, CA
Can a once-toxic shoreline solve Mission Bay’s recreation needs? San Diego readies rival visions for South Shores
An overhaul of the long-neglected area could help anchor major changes coming to other parts of Mission Bay: Fiesta Island and the bay’s entire northeastern corner.
Subscribe to continue reading this article.
Already subscribed? To login in, click here.
Originally Published:
The new year has brought a surge of influenza cases across San Diego County late in the traditional season for the virus.
According to the most recent weekly respiratory illness report from the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, there is a 31% increase in reported cases.
In the week from Dec. 21 to Dec. 28, cases jumped from 2,420 to 3,567.
At the Saturday Civita Park Farmer’s Market in Mission Valley, families of every kind were looking for bargains and some good food and desserts.
Leilani Robles was selling her homemade cookies at the market. She’s a vendor and mother of two sons who go back to school next Tuesday.
“It’s gonna be crazy for a little bit [when they go back to school]. They might get colds,” Robles said.
She started her cookie business during the COVID shutdown in 2020. She is a supporter of vaccinations for her family.
We get our flu shot every year. I didn’t start getting my flu shot until I was older … but it really works … and my children haven’t gotten sick,” she said.
The highly contagious respiratory illness affects the nose, throat, and lungs. It can cause symptoms that include fever, cough, chills, sore throat, and a headache.
“At least from the holiday season we’re seeing the rates rise,” said Dr. Jyotu Sandhu, who specializes in family and sports medicine. He strongly recommends a flu shot for protection, especially for the most vulnerable people. Sandhu practices at Sharp Memorial Hospital.
He said, “If the average person gets the flu, they have strong enough lungs to fight off the infection. They have that oxygen reserve. Whereas older people and the younger people don’t.”
“If the average person gets the flu, they have strong enough lungs to fight off the infection. They have that oxygen reserve. Whereas older people and the younger people don’t.”
Dr. Jyotu Sandhu, Sharp Memorial Hospital
Tanya Medrano is an artist selling her cards and ocean designs at the Civita Park farmer’s market every week. She is committed to nature and the healing it can bring. She got the flu already but will not get vaccinated. “I just believe that the body is suppose to fight everything naturally. (Getting the flu was) not fun. But, you know, you just rest, take vitamin C, and just let it run its course,” Medrano said.
The County will release its next respiratory illness report late next week.
Swimming in 57-degree water isn’t everyone’s idea of a great way to celebrate New Year’s Day, but for an intrepid group of ocean-goers in La Jolla, it was just right.
The La Jolla Cove Swim Club welcomed people to dive into the chilly Pacific during the Polar Bear Plunge at La Jolla Shores the morning of Jan. 1.
Participants could take a dip and then warm up with a potluck and coffee. ♦
/https%3A%2F%2Ftf-cmsv2-smithsonianmag-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Ffiler_public%2Fbe%2F7b%2Fbe7bfa39-ecb3-42ab-92cc-5ebcde41a5ec%2Fgettyimages-530797710.jpg "The Golden Gate Bridge Was a Dream That Turned Into a Depression-Era Nightmare for the 11 Men Who Died During Its Construction")
The Golden Gate Bridge Was a Dream That Turned Into a Depression-Era Nightmare for the 11 Men Who Died During Its Construction
First Baptist Dallas demolishes old sanctuary, preserving pieces of the past
How to watch the Miami Dolphins vs. New York Jets – NFL: Week 18 | Channel, stream, preview, pediction
Death investigation in Charlestown after man found shot in 7-Eleven parking lot
How to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Denver Broncos – NFL: Week 18 | Channel, stream, preview, prediction
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Olympic Sprinter Charged in Confrontation With Miami Beach Police
Trump names latest White House staff picks as Jan. 20 inauguration approaches
Montenegro holds memorial service for 12 victims of mass shooting
A storm will bring heavy snow and dangerous ice from the Plains to the East Coast
New Orleans Releases Most Names of Victims Killed in Attack
-
Health1 week agoNew Year life lessons from country star: 'Never forget where you came from'
-
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24982514/Quest_3_dock.jpg "Meta’s ‘software update issue’ has been breaking Quest headsets for weeks")
Technology1 week agoMeta’s ‘software update issue’ has been breaking Quest headsets for weeks
-
Business4 days agoThese are the top 7 issues facing the struggling restaurant industry in 2025
-
Politics1 week ago'Politics is bad for business.' Why Disney's Bob Iger is trying to avoid hot buttons
-
Culture4 days agoThe 25 worst losses in college football history, including Baylor’s 2024 entry at Colorado
-
Sports4 days agoThe top out-of-contract players available as free transfers: Kimmich, De Bruyne, Van Dijk…
-
Politics3 days agoNew Orleans attacker had 'remote detonator' for explosives in French Quarter, Biden says
-
Politics2 days agoCarter's judicial picks reshaped the federal bench across the country