Updated at 5:45 p.m. June 13, 2014

A 45-year-old Lakeside man was killed in a single-vehicle crash early Friday off state Route 52 in Santee, authorities said.

A CHP cruiser. Photo courtesy CHP.
A CHP cruiser. Photo courtesy CHP.

The man was driving a 2013 Lexus east on state Route 52 west of the Cuyamaca Street offramp at a high rate of speed when he lost control on the curvy roadway around 12:50 a.m., said California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein.

Pearlstein said the car went down a dirt embankment on the south side of the highway, struck a concrete wall, then rolled several times. The wrecked vehicle was found on the roadside near the bottom of the ramp, according to the CHP.

The driver was wearing a seat belt but succumbed to his injuries, Pearlstein said. His name was not immediately released.

Pearlstein said investigators were working to determine whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.

The ramp was temporarily closed after the crash but was reopened shortly after 3 a.m., according to the CHP.

— City News Service

Chris Jennewein is Editor & Publisher of Times of San Diego.