SAN DIEGO — A Friday morning rollover crash has left one person dead, the San Diego Police Department told FOX 5.
The fatal collision occurred just after 4 a.m. on State Route 94 near northbound Interstate 5, according to officials.
The collision prompted temporary lane closures in the area, but the California Department of Transportation confirmed the lanes reopened a couple hours later.
California Highway Patrol said the driver of a white Ford pickup truck slammed into another car before rolling over in the roadway. Officers say when the truck flipped over, a man was ejected from the vehicle.
“The force of the rollover collision caused the full ejection of the driver of that vehicle and unfortunately the solo occupant inside that Ford pickup truck sustained fatal injuries as a result of this collision,” stated CHP Sgt. Brian Pennings.
The 49-year-old driver inside the Honda suffered minor injuries, CHP said.
Officers are investigating whether drugs or alcohol played a factor in the crash, but stressed the importance of drivers wearing their seatbelts.
“We have a 97% compliance rating for seatbelts in California. We are amongst the best in the country, but over 50% of our fatalities involve people who are either unrestrained or improperly restrained,” said Sgt. Pennings. “The forces of a collision are phenomenal and when those forces are exhibited on your body, if you are not properly restrained, oftentimes it results in a fatal collision.”
The identity of the deceased individual has also not been released pending notification of family.