Teen driver who died was not wearing seat-belt

East County News Service

Updated March 3, 2023 with identity of the victim.

March 2, 2023 (La Mesa) – An 18-year-old El Cajon man, Eugene Nelson,has died after he lost control on I-8 west and struck a California Highway Patrol vehicle that had stopped to investigate a pair of unrelated solo-vehicle accidents on Feb. 25.

According to Officer Jared Grieshaber, the vehicles involved in those two accidents were blocking the center divider and the #1 lane of traffic. “The CHP officer on scene parked his patrol vehicle with the emergency lights activated, within the #1 lane, and partially within the center divider for scene safety,” Officer Grieshaber said.

By Miriam Raftery

July 30, 2021 (La Mesa) – A 41-year-old man believed to be inside his workplace died at the scene after an SUV struck the building on Jul 28 at 5:30 p.m. According to La Mesa Police, drugs or alcohol are suspected of being a factor in the fatal crash.

The SUV was traveling eastbound on University Avenue when it left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck the building at 7373 University Avenue. The Medical Examiner’s Report indicates the victim worked in unit 101.

By Miriam Raftery

June 4, 2021 (Alpine) – A 63-year-old San Diego woman is dead and several others injured following a collision in Alpine last night.

A GMC Sierra pickup truck and a 2000 Toyota Solara collided on westbound Interstate 8, west of Tavern Road in Alpine at 6 p.m. The impact caused both vehicles to veer toward the center divide, plunge down an embankment and overturn. The GMC came to rest blocking an eastbound lane on I-8, while the Toyota came to rest in the center median.

By Miriam Raftery

July 10, 2020 (La Mesa) – The driver killed in a head-on collision in Dulzura on June 27 has been identified as 20-year-old Joshua Ruben Valtierra of La Mesa. He was driving south on State Route 94, also known as Campo Road, east of Little Tecate Road in Dulzura when an oncoming vehicle veered over the center line and struck Valtierra’s vehicle head-on.

Valtierra’s vehicle overturned and plunged down an embankment. Paramedics responded to a 9-1-1 call. Valtierra’s death of blunt force injuries sustained in the crash was confirmed at the scene, the Medical Examiner reports.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.

East County News Service

August 19, 2015 (La Mesa)—An 88-year-old man was struck and killed after his pickup truck broke down in La Mesa Monday afternoon.  The victim, Reynaldo Nava of Coronado, had pulled his disabled vehicle onto a section of land between I-8 and State Route 125.