DEL MAR, Calif. (KGTV) - A driver involved in a wreck on Interstate 5 Tuesday morning was hit and killed by a vehicle after witnesses said he went back to his damaged car to retrieve his cell phone.
The crash happened on northbound I-5 near Via de la Valle just after 2:30 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.
CHP officials said the 27-year-old driver lost control of his Toyota Corolla and crashed into the center-divider wall. A couple pulled over and helped the man out of his car and took him to the right shoulder to safety, 10News learned.
Moments later, a Mercedes-Benz SUV crashed into the Corolla, sending it into the middle of the freeway.
The couple told 10News the Corolla's driver told them he was late for work and needed to get his cell phone, but they advised him not to go to his car.
The man walked to the wrecked Corolla but was hit by an oncoming Jeep. He was declared dead at the scene.
The incident prompted the closure of at least three northbound I-5 lanes in the area, but all lanes were reopened by 6 a.m.
No other injuries were reported in the incident.
