An investigation was under way today in the death of a 34-year-old Temecula woman killed when the pickup she was riding in veered off rain-soaked Interstate 15 north of Escondido and rolled down a steep embankment.
The woman was a rear-seat passenger in a 2007 Nissan Frontier pickup with an extended cab, CHP Officer Jim Bettencourt said in a statement. She was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.
The driver of the pickup, a 62-year-old Temecula man, and a 61-year-old Temecula woman in the front passenger seat both suffered moderate injuries, Bettencourt said. Each was taken by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center.
A preliminary investigation showed the pickup was traveling at about 70 miles per hour in heavy rain when its driver lost control, sliding down a steep 200- to 300-foot dirt embankment, Bettencourt said, adding that the vehicle
rolled several times but landed on its wheels. It was not immediately clear if
alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash.
