Wrong-way crash near California-Mexico border kills 3

ENCINITAS, CA -- A driver sped the wrong way down a freeway for close to 40 miles near the California-Mexico border before smashing into another car in a fiery crash that left three people dead.

California Highway Patrol spokesman Jim Bettencourt says a Mercedes heading south on Interstate 5 made a U-turn at the San Diego border crossing into Mexico around 3 a.m. Sunday and began heading north in the southbound lanes.

U.S. Border Patrol agents chased the speeding car but lost it. A short time later, the wrong-way Mercedes plowed into a Chrysler traveling in the right direction on the freeway in Encinitas.

Both cars burst into flames nearly 40 miles from the border crossing.

It's not immediately clear whether the Mercedes driver survived.