SAN MARCOS — A 27-year-old driver died on Sunday in a single-vehicle collision near San Elijo Road and Ledge Street in San Marcos, the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station reported.
The accident occurred around 5:50 p.m. in front of San Marcos Fire Department Station 4, with fire personnel who overheard the collision immediately responding to the scene. The man was transferred to Kaiser-San Marcos Hospital but pronounced deceased.
The man was driving a Toyota Rav-4 westbound on San Elijo Road at a “high rate of speed,” when he left the roadway and collided with a fire hydrant and pedestrian signal pole. His vehicle continued along Ledge Street and collided with a dirt embankment, with the force of the collision causing the car to roll.
The driver was not wearing a seatbelt and was partially ejected from the vehicle, according to Sgt. Chuck Morreale. The Rav-4 also appeared to be in a state of potential disrepair at the time of the crash, Morreale added.
While the driver’s exact speed at the time of crash has not been confirmed, Morreale said that based on the length of the crash scene, the car was definitely traveling well above the 45 mph speed limit.
“Luckily, nobody else was involved, and there were no pedestrians in the area at the time, otherwise it would have been a different story,” Morreale said.
Fire personnel rendered first aid on scene and attempted life-saving measures, and deputies arrived around eight minutes after the crash.
Investigators with the San Marcos Sheriff’s Station Traffic Division were on scene for several hours, and are continuing to investigate the collision.
At this time, alcohol or drugs are not suspected to be a factor in the crash, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Anyone who may have witnessed the collision or captured the incident on video is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department at (760) 510-5200.
