A woman was shot and killed by Escondido police on Friday after leading officers on a lengthy pursuit from Escondido to San Diego and crashing into another vehicle, authorities said.
The state Attorney General’s Office on Saturday announced the Department of Justice was investigating the incident.
Officials said the chase ended in gunfire around 5:45 p.m. on southbound Interstate 15 near the split with state Route 163 in the Miramar area. The driver was taken to a hospital by paramedics but later died, officials said. Her name has not been released.
The incident caused a lengthy closure of southbound lanes of I-15 as the shooting was investigated, with vehicles initially being diverted to Route 163 on Friday evening. All lanes reopened around 11 a.m. Saturday, Caltrans said on X.
Escondido police on Sunday didn’t release many details about the case, including what prompted the pursuit, and referred questions to state DOJ officials.
The driver was the only person in the vehicle that was pursued by Escondido officers, police Lt. Ryan Hicks said. At one point, the driver began traveling the wrong way on the freeway and officers broke off the chase, he said. A San Diego police helicopter flew overhead and kept the vehicle in sight.
“Basically there is a crash at the end, a confrontation at the end and a shooting at the end involving our officers,” Hicks said. “That’s about all I can give.”
Fox 5 San Diego reported that two vehicles crashed. The station aired video showing several California Highway Patrol and Escondido police cars surrounding the cars on the freeway.
Hicks said the shooting was captured by police body-worn cameras. He said he expected to release the name of the officer or officers involved in the shooting and video of the incident, probably in several weeks. He said no officers were injured.
Because the shooting occurred on a freeway, police initially believed the CHP planned to investigate. They were later told state DOJ was handling it.
In a press release, officials said the DOJ’s shooting investigation team had been assigned and that the case would be turned over to its special prosecution section for review after the investigation was completed. The DOJ said it is required to investigate all incidents of fatal officer-involved shootings resulting in the death of unarmed civilians in California under a state law in effect since 2021.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call investigators at 916-210-2871.
Originally Published: August 31, 2025 at 5:06 PM PDT