The driver of a dump truck suffered serious injuries Wednesday, possibly including a severed foot, when he jumped out of the vehicle as it careened out of control down a sloping rural road near San Diego Reservoir.
The 38-year-old trucker was heading south on Via Ambiente in Rancho Santa Fe about 9:15 a.m. when the work vehicle began picking up speed rapidly, as if due to brake failure, according to the California Highway Patrol.
As he neared a “T” intersection at Calle Ambiente, the driver jumped out and was run over by the truck, which then sideswiped another vehicle before plunging over an embankment, CHP public affairs Officer Jim Bettencourt said.
According to witnesses, the man’s right foot appeared to have been torn off. Medics took him to Palomar Medical Center. He was expected to survive, though it was unclear if he would lose the extremity, Bettencourt said.
No other injuries were reported.
— City News Service
