Wrong-way driver arrested in DUI head-on crash in South Bay

A rollover crash blocked all lanes on Interstate 280 near Bird Avenue in San Jose on Wednesday morning, the CHP said. A rollover crash blocked all lanes on Interstate 280 near Bird Avenue in San Jose on Wednesday morning, the CHP said. Photo: Twitter: @SJFD / / Photo: Twitter: @SJFD / / Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Wrong-way driver arrested in DUI head-on crash in South Bay 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A drunken driver heading the wrong direction on Interstate 280 in San Jose on Wednesday slammed head-on into another driver with such force it ripped the engine out of her car though — remarkably — both drivers survived, officials said.

“It’s miraculous,” said California Highway Patrol Officer Ross Lee. “We have collisions at much lower speed where we have fatalities. For this collision, head-on, with no fatalities is not ordinary.”

The wreck happened around 3:30 a.m., when a 23-year-old woman from North Hollywood drove her Volkswagen Golf the wrong direction onto the southbound lanes of the interstate at Bird Avenue, according to authorities, who declined to name the woman.

A short distance later, she slammed head-on into a Chevrolet Aveo driven by an unidentified 23-year-old woman from Livermore, Lee said.

The impact was so severe it sent the Aveo rolling into a heap of twisted metal and ripped the engine block out of the Volkswagen.

A 29-year-old woman from San Jose behind the wheel of a BMW then slammed into the Volkswagen, officials said.

Emergency responders cut the drivers involved in the head-on crash out of their vehicles and took them to hospitals.

“At this point, it looks like they have major injuries, but they’re not life-threatening,” Lee said.

The BMW driver was not seriously injured.

Officers since arrested the wrong-way driver on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The CHP shut down all lanes of the interstate while paramedics responded and investigators processed the scene.

The wreck was cleared, and all lanes were reopened around 5:40 a.m.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky