Crime & Safety

North County Woman Killed In Fallbrook Crash

Two others in the car were injured. Officers believe none of the occupants were wearing seatbelts.

FALLBROOK, CA -- An early-morning crash in Fallbrook killed one person and sent three others to the hospital, a California Highway Patrol officer said Sunday.

Officers believe drugs or alcohol may have contributed to the collision.

Just after 1 a.m., a 19-year-old Fallbrook man driving a 1996 Saturn northbound on Mission Road drifted into oncoming traffic and struck a 2007 Ford U-Haul truck head-on, said CHP Officer Mark Latulippe. The crash happened near Quail Knoll Road, south of Fallbrook High School.

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The Saturn's driver and its three passengers were all trapped inside the car, Latulippe said.

One of passengers, a 20-year-old woman from Escondido, sustained fatal injuries and died at the scene.
The driver suffered major trauma and a fractured left hand, and was flown to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla. He is expected to survive, Latulippe said.

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The other two passengers, a 17-year-old Escondido girl and a 20-year- old Fallbrook man, were taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido with moderate injuries.

Officers believe none of the occupants of the Saturn were wearing seatbelts.

The driver of the Ford U-Haul, a 27-year-old man from Fallbrook, received minor injuries and was not taken to a hospital, Latulippe said.

--City News Service/Photo via Shutterstock