Escondido police shooting leaves woman wounded, shuts down part of I-15

Escondido police officers opened fire on a vehicle Friday, wounding at least one person following a chase that ended in a collision in the Miramar area.

The shooting took place at about 5 p.m. Friday on the southbound side of Interstate 15, according to police.

Paramedics took a wounded  woman to a hospital in unknown condition, Escondido police Sgt. Andrew Maxwell said. No other injuries were reported.

It was not clear what led to the pursuit, which began in Escondido at about 4 p.m., Maxwell said.

The incident forced a complete closure of the southbound lanes of Interstate 15 at state Route 163, Caltrans posted on social media.

That forced traffic to be diverted to SR-163 not only at rush hour, but at the beginning of one of the most heavily traveled weekends of the year, leading to Labor Day.

By about 6:20 p.m., authorities had opened the express lanes of southbound I-15 to all motorists to alleviate traffic. A toll is typically charged, but drivers were allowed to use the lanes free of charge.