One dead, two injured in Santee crash

SANTEE (CNS) – A chain reaction crash on state Route 67 in Santee Friday left one man dead and another hospitalized, authorities said.

A 23-year-old El Cajon man was heading north on state Route 67 approaching state Route 52 in a Mazda Miata when he collided with a northbound Nissan Altima driven by a 24-year-old El Cajon man around 5:15 a.m , said California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein.

The Mazda came to a rest near the highway exit and the Nissan struck the center divider then stopped in the fast lane, Pearlstein said.

No one was injured in the initial crash. But as the Mazda’s driver was talking with the other motorist through the Nissan’s window, a Ford Ranger struck both the sedan and the Mazda’s driver at freeway speeds, Pearlstein said.

Pearlstein said the force of the crash sent the Mazda’s driver over the divider and into oncoming traffic, where he was subsequently struck by at least one other vehicle. Two more vehicles then struck the disabled Nissan.

The Mazda’s driver died at the scene, Pearlstein said. His name was not immediately available.

The Nissan’s driver was taken to a hospital to be treated for moderate injuries, according to the officer. No one else involved in the crash was injured.

The crash prompted authorities to temporarily close northbound state Route 67 in the vicinity of the crash, along with one southbound lane, and divert traffic onto state Route 52, according to the CHP. By about 7:45 a.m., the lanes had been reopened.