A 20-year-old man is dead after a semi truck pinned a car beneath its grill between State Routes 79 and 76, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The fatal collision happened north of Santa Ysabel shortly after 1:20 p.m. on Friday when a gold sedan pulled over to let the semi truck pass. The truck then hit the car head-on and pinned the sedan beneath it, according to initial reports from CHP officials.
The male driver of the semi truck was uninjured, but was extremely shaken up at the scene. A county chaplain was called to the area to help calm the man down.
Officers blocked lanes of SR-79 and SR-76 while removing the body of the sedan driver, who was identified by the medical examiner Friday night as Escondido resident Justin Michael Cook.
The ME report said Cook was driving eastbound on SR-76 and came to a stop at the SR-79 intersection. Cook then attempted to turn northbound on SR-79 and the semi truck collided with him.
His death was pronounced at the scene due to obvious trauma, according to the medical examiner.
