UPDATE: Traffic resumes on northbound I-5 following officer-involved shooting
Update, 6:30 p.m.
Traffic resumed on northbound Interstate 5 before 5 p.m. Thursday, according to the California Department of Transportation.
"CHP is beginning to slowly escort northbound traffic through the Fawndale closure all the way to O'Brien. Motorists should still expect long delays in this area," Caltrans said on Twitter.
Northbound traffic was at a crawl all the way to Mountain Gate at 7 p.m.
Update, 5:15 p.m.
A police shooting in the area of Interstate 5's O'Brien rest area forced the freeway's closure of the northbound lanes just north of Redding on Thursday afternoon.
California Highway Patrol public information officer Jason Morton confirmed that there had been an officer-involved shooting and that I-5 was closed at the northbound Fawndale exit.
Morton did not know what led to the shooting and said officials were expected to release more details later on Thursday.
But late afternoon, the CHP said it would not be making a statement as the agency waited for approval from the office of the state commissioner.
The incident is under a multi-agency investigation that includes the Redding Police Department and Shasta County District Attorney's Office.
Initial reports were that the CHP asked to close the northbound lanes after a two-vehicle crash that started a fire.
There was also a report from a witness of a weapon being inside one of the vehicles involved in the wreck and the person inside that vehicle was not cooperating with authorities, according to CHP traffic incidents page.
The collision was reported around 1:40 p.m., according to the CHP.
Crews reported that the fire was holding at about a half-acre in size.
Traffic was diverted at Bridge Bay.
Update, 2:45 p.m.
CHP public information officer Jason Morton confirmed that northbound I-5 is closed at the Fawndale exit after an officer-involved shooting earlier Thursday in the area of the O'Brien rest area.
Morton did not know what led to the shooting and said authorities would be releasing more details later in the afternoon.
A Record Searchlight reporter is headed to the scene. Check back on this story for updates.
Original story
Northbound Interstate 5 is closed after a two-vehicle crash near the O’Brien rest area that has started a fire, the California Highway Patrol said.
The northbound lanes are closed at the Fawndale exit, the CHP said.
There is also a report from a witness of a weapon being inside one of the vehicles involved in the wreck and the person inside that vehicle is not cooperating with authorities, according to CHP traffic incidents page.
The collision was reported around 1:40 p.m., according to the CHP.
Crews reported that the fire is holding at about a half-acre in size.
Traffic is being diverted at Bridge Bay.
A Record Searchlight reporter is headed to the scene. Check back on this story for updates.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Traffic resumes on northbound I-5 following officer-involved shooting
