ESCONDIDO — A 22-year-old man from Lake Elsinore was killed after his motorcycle ran a red light during a police pursuit and crashed into a vehicle on Washington Avenue in Escondido, police said today.
Shortly after noon Sunday, the California Highway Patrol tried to stop a motorcyclist for speeding on southbound Interstate 15 at state Route 76, according to the Escondido Police Department.
A vehicle pursuit began when the motorcyclist sped off on southbound I- 5 and the CHP notified EPD. The motorcyclist went into Valley Center and then west into the city of Escondido via the Valley Center grade.
A short time later, an assisting EPD officer saw the motorcyclist traveling eastbound on Washington Avenue at Ash Street, police said.
“Upon seeing the Escondido police officer, the motorcyclist immediately accelerated at a high rate of speed traveling east on Washington Avenue,” the EPD said.
Before the officer was able to get behind the motorcycle, the motorcyclist ran a red light on eastbound Washington Avenue at Harding Street and collided with the front bumper of a vehicle that was traveling north on Harding Avenue on a green traffic signal.
“The motorcyclist lost control and was vaulted from the motorcycle and he subsequently collided with the front end of a westbound vehicle,” police said. “Officers provided life-saving measures at the scene. Escondido fire paramedics responded and pronounced the motorcyclist deceased at the scene.”
The identification of the motorcyclist was pending notification to his family.
The Escondido Police Traffic Unit was investigating the collision. Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Officer Paul Smyth at 760-839-4423.
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