The passenger of a delivery truck involved in a fatal collision in La Mesa was killed after being ejected from the vehicle and falling from a freeway overpass, CHP officials said.
The fatal crash happened around 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning.
According to officers, a tortilla and food delivery truck occupied by a male driver and passenger was traveling on westbound Interstate 8 and attempting to transition onto southbound State Route 125 when the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Officials said the 32-year-old driver was traveling at an unsafe rate of speed, especially given the wet, rainy conditions.
The truck slammed into a raised concrete wall along the shoulder on the roadway. The impact, officials said, was enough to propel the truck across two lanes, causing it to then collide with another raised concrete wall on the other side.
Officials said the impact then fully-ejected the passenger, who was thrown through the windshield, falling from the freeway overpass onto southbound SR-125 below, where he came to rest.
Investigators do not believe the passenger was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.
He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, officials confirmed.
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The driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital. Investigators said the driver was wearing his seat belt.
Some southbound SR-125 lanes along with the connector overpass were temporarily closed following the deadly collision.
The Medical Examiner's officer later identified the deceased passenger as 76-year-old Tijuana resident Ramon Chavira. The ME’s report said Chavira died from multiple blunt force injuries.
