2 killed in separate fatal crashes in Oceanside

Two people died in separate single-car crashes in Oceanside early Sunday morning, according to police.

Shortly after midnight, a man believed to be about 20 years old was killed when the 2005 Nissan Altima that he was driving collided with a traffic signal pole at the intersection of Mission Avenue and Mesa Drive, police said. He was the only person in the car, police said.

“The investigation is ongoing, and it is unknown if alcohol or speed was a factor in the collision,” the Oceanside Police Department said in a statement.

The man’s name is not being released until his family is notified, police said.

A little before 2 a.m., a 29-year-old man driving a 2003 Nissan Maxima was heading east on state Route 76 near Airport Road when he lost control, said Oceanside police spokesperson Jennifer Atenza. The car hit a large tree, she said.

One of the two passengers in the car, a 30-year-old man riding in the back seat, died before he could be taken to a hospital, Atenza said. His name was not released. The other passenger had non-life-threatening injuries and was not hospitalized, Atenza said.

The driver was identified by police as Guillermo Sanchez Pacheco of Oceanside. He was treated for non-life-threatening injuries and then arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and gross vehicular manslaughter, police said.

The highway was closed during the on-scene investigation, Atenza said, and it has since reopened.