SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – Two men died and two teenage girls were seriously injured after authorities said they are believed to have mistakenly jumped from a bridge following a car crash on a Carmel Valley freeway.
According to the California Highway Patrol, a Nissan Altima was traveling east on state Route 56 near Carmel Valley Road at around 11 p.m. Tuesday when the car spun out for unknown reasons and crashed into a freeway barrier.
CHP officials said when the car came to rest, it was facing oncoming traffic. Witnesses told the CHP six people got out of the car and ran across freeway lanes towards the right shoulder to avoid the oncoming vehicles.
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Four people from the group jumped over the right shoulder, not realizing they were leaping from a bridge, the CHP said.
The four fell 50-75 feet from the structure, and CHP officials said two males -- one 18 years old and the other whose age was not immediately released -- died at the scene.
A 14-year-old girl and 15-year-old girl were taken to Scripps La Jolla Hospital with injuries of unknown severity.
10News learned the two others from the group who did not jump were last seen running away from the freeway.
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The names of the deceased and the two hospitalized teens were not released.
According to Escondido police, the vehicle involved in the crash was involved in two separate police chases on July 9. Police say the responded to a crash on Broadway and North Avenue. Although the Altima wasn't involved in that crash, officers reported that they saw people getting into the vehicle who may have been involved in the crash.
When officers tried to pull the Altima over, the driver sped away. The second pursuit happened later in the day around 12:30 p.m., police say.
Both chases were terminated after police determined speeds were too high.
