FATALITY TRUCK CRASH KILLS PASSENGER IN LA MESA
December 15, 2012 (La Mesa) – A passenger has died after being ejected from a truck that collided with a raised concrete wall on the elevated ramp from westbound I-8 to southbound State Route 125 in La Mesa. According to CHP Officer Brian Pennings, the driver “failed to maintain control due to his unsafe speed for current conditions” on a rain-slicked roadway.
The 2000 GMC box-style truck driven by Jaime Espinoza, 32, of San Diego was propelled across both lanes after striking a concrete wall, then smashed again into another concrete wall on the shoulder. The force of the second collision propelled the right front passenger through the windshield and onto southbound SR-125 below.
A preliminary investigation indicates that the passenger was not wearing a seatbelt.
The passenger, whose name has not yet been released, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, Espinoza, was transported via ambulance to a hospital with minor injuries.