Truck carrying strawberries catches fire on north I-5 near Leucadia

Two lanes of northbound Interstate 5 in Encinitas were blocked early Thursday, May 16, after a semi truck carrying cases of strawberries caught fire, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The fire was reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. on north I-5 just south of Leucadia Boulevard. The driver of the truck was transported to the hospital with injuries suffered in the fire, the CHP reported.

The two right-hand lanes of the freeway were blocked and a flatbed truck was summoned so the truck could be unloaded.

Traffic on the freeway in both directions was backed up in the area.

Drivers heading south on Interstate 15 near El Norte Parkway in the Escondido area also were finding slow speeds Thursday morning, May 16, after an earlier crash involving a car that caught on fire. The collision was reported around 4:20 a.m. Emergency crews had the far right lane of the freeway blocked for about an hour, according to the CHP.

-- Karen Kucher is a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune