A man was killed in a car crash Saturday night after he slammed his vehicle into a tree off Interstate 8 in El Cajon, officials said.
The collision happened around 11:45 p.m. on westbound I-8 and the Mollison Avenue exit. CHP Sgt. Damian Budwine said the accident involved a single vehicle occupied by a male driver.
According to Sgt. Budwine, a witness told officials that the man was driving at speeds of approximately 85 to 90 mph when he attempted to pass another vehicle. The driver lost control of his car, veered off the roadway down a steep embankment and plowed into a tree just north of the off-ramp.
Sgt. Budwine said investigators believe the car was airborne for at least 60 feet before smashing into the tree. The driver was killed upon impact.
Fire and rescue crews had to extricate the victim’s body from the totaled vehicle. The Mollison Avenue off-ramp was temporarily closed as crews worked on scene.
Sgt. Budwine said the preliminary investigation showed that drugs or alcohol did not play factors in the fatal crash, though the investigation is ongoing.
On Sunday, a report released by the medical examiner's office identified the driver as 30-year-old Lemon Grove resident Ismael Perez Chavez.
