A driver who was not wearing his seat belt died Tuesday night after his truck hit a center median and guardrail on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) Sgt. Curtis Martin said the deadly crash happened around 11:20 p.m. on northbound I-5 near Las Pulgas.
The driver – a man behind the wheel of a Ford F150 whose name has not yet been released – lost control of his truck and slammed into a center divider. Martin said the truck bounced off the divider, drifted across several lanes and then plowed into a K-rail wall.
The man was thrown out of the truck and died at the scene, Martin confirmed. Investigators soon learned the driver had not been wearing his seat belt.
“The seat belt was tied in a knot and was not used in this situation,” said Martin. “If he had been wearing his seat belt, he probably would’ve been fine.”
Martin said a passerby called 911 to report the wreck, but investigators are not sure if there were any witnesses to the collision. The investigation is ongoing.
No one else was inside the truck, officials said.
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Due to the proximity to Camp Pendleton, Martin said fire and police officials from the base also responded to the scene of the crash to help.
