San Diego I-805 Freeway Accident: Fiery Crash Kills 3, Injures 18 [Video]

Three people were dead and 18 others injured following a fiery crash on Interstate 805 caused by a wrong-way driver in San Diego's University City. According to local media, the incident took place during the rush-hour traffic.

The series of collisions involving as many as eight vehicles occurred on the northbound side of the freeway near Miramar Road, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Two of the cars involved in the pile-up caught fire.

The incident took place after a man driving a McLaren drove southbound on the northbound I-805 HOV lane in excess of 100 mph and crashed, causing the fiery pileup, the CHP said.

Officials said the three deceased victims died amid the wreckage of the crumpled vehicles. One person, who was seriously injured, was rushed to the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, San Diego Fire-Rescue said.

The accident forced a closure of the northbound side of the freeway between Miramar Road and Sorrento Valley. However, California Department of Transportation said late Thursday the "Westbound Miramar road on-ramp to Northbound I-805 back open to traffic."

An eye-witness told NBC 7 that the traffic was heavy from the evening commute and several drivers attempted to get out of the wrong-way driver's way.

"That car in front of me swerved, slammed and exploded within a fraction of second all I could do was hold on to my steering wheel and run over everything that exploded," Hector Puga said.

CHP conducted an investigation at the scene Thursday evening, and no further details were immediately available.