Ambulance crash causes blackout in North County

OCEANSIDE (CNS) – An ambulance went down a roughly 100-foot embankment off Highway 78 early Monday, knocking out a power line and blacking out about 1,600 North County homes and businesses.

The crash on eastbound Highway 78 near College Boulevard was reported at 4 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. No one was injured but the crash sparked a small brush fire, a North County Fire Protection District dispatcher said, adding it was out in less than 45 minutes.

SDG&E reported that power should be restored to affected customers by 6:30 a.m.

The cause of the crash, which occurred while no patients were being transported, was under investigation.