Escondido

Rescuers in Escondido called out after van slams into building

Officials said there were people inside the building when the van hit it.

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Multiple EMTs were called out by Escondido police on Thursday afternoon after a white passenger van hit a structure.

The crash occurred around 2 p.m. near the intersection of 2nd Avenue and Juniper Street, according to Escondido PD Lt. Kuehn.

Officials said there were people inside the building, which houses and car-insurance company and a dental office, when the van hit it.

When Sky Ranger 7 flew overhead about 90 minutes later, a tow truck was seen pulling the van back out of the building.

The passenger van collided with another vehicle in the intersection, driving the van into the side of the Love Insurance building, according to Escondido Fire Department operations chief Jeff Sargis.

The van was "quite full" at the time of the wreck, carrying some people with special needs and caregivers. In all, 13 patients were taken to the hospital, none with major injuries. Sargis said some were brought to the medical center as a precaution. He also said he didn't believe anyone who was in the building at the time of the crash hurt.

The building sustained moderate damage, according to Sargis, who said fire crews are doing some clean-up at the site, with a building inspector expected to arrive to evalute the building's structural integrity.

Check back here for updates on this breaking-news story — Ed.

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