One person was killed and three others were injured when an SUV and a taxi van collided on State Route 94 in Jamul Thursday, officials confirmed.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) officials said a 75-year-old Jamul resident was driving a Chevy Blazer eastbound on SR-94 west of Steele Canyon Road just before 1 p.m., near Marlena Way.
CHP Officer Kevin Pearlstein said the driver drifted to the left across a turn lane and drove into westbound SR-94 traffic, slamming head-on into a Toyota Sienna van taxi carrying three people, including a 45-year-old driver, who had no time to react.
CHP officials said other drivers in the area stopped to pull one person out of one of the vehicles. Another person remained trapped inside one of the cars and had to be extricated by firefighters.
Pearlstein later confirmed the driver of the Chevy died at the scene of the crash. The taxi driver and his two passengers suffered minor injuries and were taken to a local hospital.
Westbound lanes of the freeway were blocked off to traffic following the deadly collision. By 1:10 p.m., CHP had requested help with traffic control, as lanes were expected to remain closed for quite some time.
Aerial footage showed both the white SUV and the multi-colored USA Cab van had sustained major
damage to the front-ends. Shattered glass and other debris from the vehicles was scattered along the roadway.
The accident is under investigation, but officials said alcohol and drugs were not involved.
Pearlstein described the roadway at the site of the crash as “straight, with shoulders and a two-way left turn that delineates the westbound and eastbound lanes.”
The name of the man killed in the crash has not yet been released.
