A Bonita man on his way to the gym before work died Tuesday when he fell from a highway overpass moments after his car struck and killed a deer.
Martin Lapisch was traveling northbound on State Route 125 just south of SR-54 before 5 a.m. when his car struck a deer, a family spokesperson told NBC 7.
The deer was killed and the car became immobilized in the middle of the roadway, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Sgt. Steve Jio said.
The driver may have then attempted to get out of the roadway, CHP said.
"It appears he jumped over the side of the bridge maybe to get into a safe location, didn’t realize that there was a 40-foot drop," Jio said.
A SigAlert issued at about 5:15 a.m. closed at least one lane of northbound SR-125 so CHP could investigate the crash. Heavy traffic backup could be seen on the freeway before the alert was lifted at about 6:40 a.m.
A family spokesperson said Lapisch would drive to the 24 Hour Fitness in Carlsbad near his employer, Aenergia.
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Lapisch is survived by his wife Linda and his 15-month-old son Kenneth.
