A man whose car flipped over on a Vista highway was killed early Friday morning when a truck struck him as he curiously ran across the opposite lanes, a California Highway Patrol spokesperson said.
The man, who is suspected of drunken driving, collided into a braking red truck at about 12:30 a.m. while traveling eastbound on Highway 78 east of Civic Center Drive, the start of a strange series of events that ended in his death.
The suspect and his passengers were traveling at approximately 65 mph in the No. 2 lane when their gray Toyota Scion clipped the truck despite attempts to swerve, and the Scion, into which a third vehicle collided, flipped.
The suspect and at least one passenger left the vehicle, which is when CHP Officer Chris Parent said the suspect attempted to run across the westbound lanes “for unknown reasons.”
A gray Chevy pickup truck traveling in the No. 3 lane fatally collided into the suspect.
Speed does not appear to be a factor in the crashes, and the suspect was the only person reported injured, Parent said.
All westbound and eastbound lanes were shut down following the accidents and were reopened within two hours.
