1 Reported Dead, 3 Injured in Crash Near San Onofre Border Checkpoint

Updated at 5:10 p.m. Oct. 13, 2012

A 26-year-old male passenger ejected during a single-vehicle rollover on Interstate 5 approaching the San Onofre immigration checkpoint Saturday died of his injuries, according to City News Service.

NBC San Diego reported earlier that a 26-year-old woman not wearing seat belts was airlifted to Scripps La Jolla Hospital and died there around 2:40 p.m. 

City News Service said the man was an unbelted passenger in a northbound 2004 Ford Explorer on Interstate 5 which came up too quickly on traffic stopped at the border checkpoint about 8:15 a.m. The vehicle swerved off the road to avoid a collision which caused it to roll several times, said CHP spokesman Jim
Bettencourt.

The crash victim was taken by air ambulance to Scripps La Jolla Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 2:40 p.m.

The driver, two women and another man also suffered moderate to major
injuries and were taken to Scripps La Jolla and Mission Viejo hospitals for
treatment, Bettencourt said.

Alcohol or drugs were not a suspected factor in the collision, police said.

Original story:

One man was helicoptered out, and three others suffered moderate to major injuries in a single-vehicle rollover on Interstate 5 approaching the San Onofre immigration checkpoint Saturday.

A 2004 Ford Explorer driven northbound on Interstate 5 came up too quickly on traffic stopped due to Border Patrol inspections at about 8:15 a.m., said CHP spokesman Jim Bettencourt.

“Due to his unsafe speed for conditions, he turned his vehicle to the right to avoid a collision and caused his vehicle to roll several times,” Bettencourt said.

Bettencourt said a 26-year-old man, who was not wearing seat belts, was
ejected from the vehicle and suffered major injuries. He was transported by air
ambulance to Scripps La Jolla Hospital.

Two women and a man also suffered moderate to major injuries and were
transported to Scripps La Jolla and Mission Viejo hospitals for treatment,
Bettencourt said. It was not clear which casualty was the driver.

Alcohol or drugs were not a suspected factor in the collision, police said.

A SigAlert was issued for a complete closure of northbound Interstate 5 at 8:49 a.m. and canceled at 9:28 a.m.

—City News Service contributed to this report.