A motorcycle with a trio of passengers crashed on a ramp to Interstate 8 in La Mesa, killing one rider on Halloween as two others fled, the California Highway Patrol said.
A black 2007 Harley Davidson Sportster was speeding on the ramp from Severin Drive to westbound I-8 near state Route 125 when it crashed just before 11:20 p.m. Thursday, CHP said.
All three riders -- a 38-year-old woman from El Cajon, another woman and a man -- were thrown from the motorcycle.
On Friday, the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office confirmed the victim was El Cajon resident Theresa Clouthier.
CHP said Clouthier was not wearing a helmet and died from her injuries roughly 10 minutes after the crash, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.
The two other riders ran away from the scene on foot before officers arrived, CHP said. They have not yet been located, police said at 11 a.m.
The two passengers who survived the crash likely have injuries, CHP spokesperson Officer Travis Garrow said. The agency was reaching out to local hospitals for anyone who may have been seeking treatment.
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He encouraged the two people to turn themselves in "so that this doesn't get any worse."
"You cannot leave a collision scene, especially when someone sustains fatal injuries," he said. "So definitely, there’s a crime involved at this point."
The crash remains under investigation. It was not clear if drugs or alcohol were a factor.
A Sig Alert was issued at about 5:30 a.m. for the on-ramp to westbound I-8 and for the transition ramp from westbound I-8 to northbound SR-125. The roadway reopened before 6 a.m.
Clouthier worked at J & B Materials in El Cajon and her friends said she loved the beach. A GoFundMe was set up to help pay for funeral arrangements.
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