A 155mm artillery shell fired during a live-fire demonstration for the 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Saturday prematurely detonated, dropping fragments of the shell onto a car and motorcycle with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) that were part of protective detail for Vice-President JD Vance, according to New York Times.
A patrol report obtain from CHP stated that no officers were injured in the incident, with one officer described what sounded like pebbles hitting his motorcycle and the area around him, while two others saw a two-inch piece of shrapnel hit the hood of their patrol vehicle, leaving a small dent. Afterwards, shrapnel was also found on the road near the motorcycle.
The vehicles involved were parked on a major off-ramp for Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton, a 17-mile stretch of which had been ordered closed by California Governor Gavin Newsom after he was informed that the during ceremony the military intended to fire several munitions over the highway, which is one of the busiest roads in the United States. Newsom was mocked by members of the Trump Administration for his decision to close the highway, with military officials claiming that I-5 was “safe” to remain open during the live-fire demonstration by the Marines.