A 29-year-old woman is dead after a multi-vehicle crash that closed an Oceanside road for hours.
The deadly accident happened around 9 a.m. Sunday where State Route 78 turns into Vista Way at Moreno Street.
According to the Oceanside Police Department, a Ford F-150 truck rear-ended a Kia. The driver of that compact car, a 29-year-old woman, was killed. Officials have not released her name.
Four vehicles total were involved in the crash. Police say the F-150 also hit a Chevy pickup, and the Kia was pushed into a Toyota truck. The F-150 then plowed through a resident’s white picket fence.
The F-150 driver broke his wrist, and the Chevy driver suffered bruises, according to police. Both were flown to Scripps La Jolla.
The Toyota driver, a man named Charles, was not hurt. Charles said the F-150 ran a red light before causing the crash.
“He must have been going 100 miles an hour,” he said.
Local
“Through the light. Full speed. Never hit the brakes. Boom.”
The preliminary investigation shows the 62-year-old man driving the Ford was at fault, but police say he was not intoxicated.
Residents say the area where SR-78 ends is known to be dangerous for drivers.
“There’s constant screeching,” a neighbor named Christine said.
"I think because the 78 terminates here. I think that probably adds to the confusion,” said Sgt. Ignacio Lopez with OPD. “Traveling 65 miles per hour, come to the signal and have to stop. I think if you’re new to the area, you’re probably not aware of that."
Christine says neighbors have gone to the city of Oceanside about the problem. Lopez says safety measures have been put in place.
"They’ve put in little islands to slow down traffic, designating turn lanes. You can only turn right as opposed to wanting to go eastbound,” Lopez said. “They have tried some calming effects. They even put in the radar that lights up how fast you’re going.”
The truck that caused the crash was marked DPR Construction. The company confirmed to NBC 7 the driver is an employee.
