19-year-old Victorville man killed after driving off freeway in Fallbrook

A 19-year-old man from Victorville died when the sedan he was driving veered off Interstate 15 and crashed into a tree near Fallbrook, authorities said.

The crash occurred on the northbound I-15, just north of state Route 76 and Pala Mesa Drive, shortly around 12:40 p.m. Sunday, July 21, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The driver was behind the wheel of a 2000 Mercury Sable that was traveling in the No. 1 lane in free-flowing traffic when he suddenly veered to the right and lost control of the vehicle for unknown reasons, the CHP officials said.

The sedan spun in a clockwise direction and went off the roadway over the asphalt and dirt shoulders, CHP Officer Mark Latulippe said. The driver’s side of the vehicle struck a tree on the right shoulder adjacent to the roadway, he said.

The driver, whose name was withheld pending family notification, was pronounced dead at the scene. His 23-year-old male passenger, also from Victorville, was airlifted to Palomar Hospital with moderate injuries, John Choi, public information officer for North County Fire Protection District, said.

CHP officers temporarily shut down a stretch of the northbound I-15 to allow the medical helicopter to land and carry the injured passenger to the hospital. The lanes were reopened about 1:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, a CHP unit responding to the collision was rear-ended as it approached the crash scene. In a statement, CHP reminded drivers to remain attentive when driving past collision scenes.