2 Men Killed In SD After 13-Year-Old Driver Reportedly Crashed

ESCONDIDO, CA — Two men sleeping in the bushes died in Escondido on Friday after they were struck and killed by a vehicle that was being driven by a 13-year-old girl, Escondido police said in a Saturday news release.

Around 11:20 p.m., an Escondido police officer stopped a vehicle near Mission Avenue and Gamble Street to address a traffic violation. Police said the officer didn't realize the driver was a 13-year-old girl from Vista who had stolen her mother's car because the girl drove away before the officer could reach her window. Another juvenile girl was reportedly in the passenger seat, officers later found out.

The 13-year-old driver fled east on Mission Avenue. As she attempted to make a left turn on North Ash Street, she reportedly lost control and the vehicle slid into a planter on the east side of the road near a San Diego Gas & Electric transfer facility, according to the Escondido Police Department.

The girls were detained at the scene once officers caught up with them.

"Officers tragically discovered that two men who were sleeping in the bushes had been struck by the vehicle," police said in a statement.

One man was pronounced dead at the scene while the other reportedly died at a hospital. Their identities have not yet been released but police believe they were homeless, according to a statement.

Amid the officers assessment of the fatal crash, an officer's vehicle was struck by a suspected driver under the influence as the police vehicle blocked the roadway.

"The police car had all of the emergency lights activated and was unoccupied," police wrote in a statement. "No one was injured and the driver was arrested for DUI."

Anyone with information regarding either crash was urged to contact Officer Adan Martinez at 760-839-4465.