1 dead after big rig tire loose on 5 freeway hits Tesla in San Clemente

A big rig lost a tire that jumped the center divider of the 5 freeway in San Clemente and hit a Tesla on Friday morning, killing a woman inside, according to the California Highway Patrol.

A call about the collision on the northbound side of the 5 freeway just south of Avenida Magdalena came in at about 8:53 a.m., according to the CHP incident log.

The tire bounced over the center divider from the southbound side of the freeway over to northbound lanes and hit a red Tesla.

Coroner officials were called to the scene at about 9:18 a.m. and a SigAlert was issued soon after. The identity of the 38-year-old victim, from Vista, was not released.

According to CHP reports from the scene, the white container truck that lost its tire pulled over onto the shoulder and stopped by the Cristianitos Road off-ramp and was going to be inspected.

The collision caused a backup of traffic while officers worked to clear the lanes.

City News Service contributed to this report.