Women killed in accident on Interstate 15

An investigation was under way Monday in the death of a 34-year-old Temecula woman killed when the speeding pickup she was riding in veered off rain-soaked Interstate 15 in Escondido and rolled down a steep embankment.

The accident occurred on northbound Interstate 15 near Gopher Canyon Road just before 5 p.m. Sunday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

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.