POWAY, Calif. (CNS) — A 23-year-old man died Friday in a three-vehicle traffic collision that injured two others on state Route 67, south of Poway.
The collision was first reported shortly after 1 p.m. on SR-67 and Lazy Acres Drive, a California Highway Patrol officer said.
Officer Travis Garrow said in a written statement that the deceased victim was a Lakeside resident.
The man was driving a Honda Accord northbound on SR-67 south of Scripps Poway Parkway when he tried to pass a big rig. A Toyota Highlander -- with a 44-year-old Lakeside woman at the wheel and carrying a 19-year-old female passenger -- were headed south.
For unknown reasons, the 23-year-old motorist "collided with the Freightliner, causing both drivers to lose control of their vehicles," Garrow said. "The Honda spun out of control and traveled into the southbound lane, where it struck the Toyota."
The CHP did not indicate the number of traffic lanes on that stretch of roadway, and it was unclear if the Honda crossed into an oncoming lane in the attempt to pass the big rig.
The three vehicles veered off the road and down a dirt embankment, but all occupants were believed to have been buckled in, he said.
Nevertheless, the Honda driver suffered major injuries and was flown to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where he was pronounced dead, Garrow said. His name was withheld pending family notification.
The Toyota driver suffered major injuries and her passenger suffered moderate injuries, and both were transported to Palomar Medical Center, but their conditions were not immediately known.
The trucker was uninjured.
It was not immediately clear if drugs and/or alcohol were factors in the collision.
The roadway was shut down for several hours as the CHP conducted an investigation.
