The Military Fired Live Munitions Over A California Freeway, And Drivers Are Not Happy
How did something originally billed as a patriotic celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps' 250th anniversary end in live artillery shells being fired over one of California's busiest highways? A couple of weeks removed from the incident, it seems the answer boils down to miscommunication between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Trump administration.
In the early hours leading up to a live-fire demonstration at Camp Pendleton on the morning of Oct. 18, Gov. Newsom called for a temporary shutdown of a 17-mile stretch of Interstate 5 because of an "extreme life safety risk." The last-minute nature of the shutdown left many drivers furious at the chaos, the gridlock, and the lack of communication that followed. State officials announced they were shutting the highway down just hours before the event, but they themselves say they were only notified of the federal government's plans on just as short notice.
It all went down like this: The event, organized by the White House and Marine Corps, featured dangerous M777 Howitzers firing 155 mm explosive rounds in a simulated beach assault meant to showcase the Corps' combat power. The federal government had cleared things with California officials and insisted that all live munitions would remain within approved military ranges. But then, come Friday evening, state officials noticed Marines firing artillery over the freeway during a test run before the big demonstration taking place Saturday morning. That's when Gov. Newsom ordered Saturday's shutdown of I-5 between San Clemente and Oceanside.
Motorists on multiple highways were impacted by the highway shutdown
While both sides had their qualms with how things went down on Oct. 18, the fact remains: one artillery round did end up exploding midair during the demonstration, and the shrapnel hit a California Highway Patrol cruiser parked on a highway onramp. No one was injured, but things might have turned out differently if Interstate 5 wasn't shut down at the time. (Already one of the most dangerous highways in the country, the last thing I-5 needs is another incident.)
The Marines had planned to fire 60 rounds in five minutes, but they stopped the exercise after the malfunction. A Marine Corps spokesperson defended the event's extensive safety protocols (via Los Angeles Times), but did admit that there was a premature detonation of a 155 mm shell and that an investigation is underway.
Even if it was meant to keep them safe, motorists trapped in the traffic jam weren't too happy about it. Drivers reported spending more than half an hour attempting to exit the freeway, with some making illegal U-turns to escape the jam. By mid-afternoon, traffic on alternate inland routes like the 91 and 15 freeways was jammed as well. Still, something all involved could likely agree on: one damaged highway patrol vehicle is a lot better than any alternative where civilians ended up injured. And with Camp Pendleton being one of the biggest U.S. military bases in the world, safe is definitely preferable to sorry.