A 22-year-old man was killed in a rollover crash on westbound State Route 52 Friday morning after his black sedan drifted down an embankment and crashed into a ditch, officials confirmed.
Authorities were alerted to the deadly accident happened just before 6:30 a.m. at westbound SR-52, just west of Interstate 805. The scene was on the right shoulder of the freeway amid the busy Friday morning commute.
Traffic began backing up in the area immediately following the collision. At around 7:50 a.m., officials issued a SigAlert at the westbound SR-52 transition to northbound I-805. The area would remain blocked off to traffic until further notice.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) investigators believe the victim may have been dead in the ditch for several hours. The CHP said the crash may have been difficult for passersby to spot in the dark overnight hours. A driver who saw parts of the wreckage and the extensively damaged vehicle in the ravine called 911 to report the wreck.
Investigators believe the victim struck a call box on the freeway before rolling over into the ditch.
On Friday afternoon, the San Diego Medical Examiner (ME) released the name of the victim, identifying the young man as San Diego resident Taylor John Skiffington.
The crash remains under investigation. Check back for updates on this developing story.
