A man who was killed when the red Corvette he was driving on a highway in Pala collided with a tractor-trailer, causing it to ignite in flames, was identified Sunday.
Henry Clarke, 44, of Escondido was driving a 1991 Chevrolet Corvette westbound on State Route 76 as a tractor-trailer was heading eastbound. As the two vehicles neared Magee Road, Clarke's vehicle began to drift for unknown reasons across the double yellow lines.
The two vehicles crashed head-on at about 4:40 p.m. The tractor-trailer immediately burst into flames.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, identified as 52-year-old Sun City resident Jose Solorio, was able to escape on his own and did not sustain any injuries, CHP said.
Clarke died at the scene.
Mangled metal of Clarke's red Corvette was left mangled, barely recognizable.
I’m on the scene of a fatal crash along the 76 near Lilac Rd. Here’s what we know so far: pic.twitter.com/5br55OxYAS
— Alex Presha (@Alex_Presha) January 6, 2018
It was not clear if speed was a factor in the crash.
For hours after the crash, SR-76 was closed in both directions and traffic was being diverted as officers investigated the crash.
