A man killed Tuesday when he crashed his SUV into a tree toppled by gusty winds northeast of Palomar Mountain was identified by the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office Wednesday as 33-year-old German Paul Figueroa of Yuma, Ariz.
Figueroa and his 7-year-old female passenger, who suffered minor injuries in the crash, struck a tree that had fallen in the middle of the roadway while northbound on state Route 79 near Oak Grove Truck Trail in the unincorporated Oak Grove community, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Paramedics responding to a 911 call pronounced Figueroa dead at the scene,
The 7-year-old girl, who had been riding in the rear passenger seat of Figueroa’s vehicle, was airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital to be evaluated for a complaint of pain.
Wind gusts in the area were around 68 mph when the tree was first reported down in the roadway, according to the National Weather Service.
–City News Service