A pileup on an East County freeway offramp that left a 60-year-old San Diego man dead remained under investigation Wednesday.
A half-dozen vehicles were involved in the chain-reaction series of crashes on the exit from eastbound Interstate 8 to West Main Street in El Cajon shortly after 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A 47-year-old San Diego woman suffered some type of medical emergency, possibly a seizure, while behind the wheel of a 2004 Lexus SUV, which careened down the ramp at a high rate of speed and sideswiped a Honda Ridgeline pickup truck stopped at a red light, CHP Officer Kevin Pearlstein said.
The out-of-control Lexus then rear-ended a Toyota Prius and a Dodge Ram, which were also stopped at the red light, he said.
Pearlstein said the Prius was “violently propelled forward” and struck the back of a Ford Ranger stopped directly in front of it, causing the pickup truck to overturn. It then continued into the intersection and collided with a northbound BMW sedan.
The name of the Prius’ driver, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was not immediately available. No other injuries were reported.
—City News Service