Car crashes down embankment off 15 near 76; driver badly injured

PALA MESA - One person suffered serious injuries when their vehicle went down an embankment off the side of Interstate 15 near Pala Mesa early Thursday morning.

It happened around 5 a.m. on southbound I-15 just past state Route 76.

According to North County Fire Protection District Capt. John Choi, a car was traveling at highway speeds when, for unknown reasons, it went off the roadway. The freeway’s elevation is about 400 feet above the surrounding terrain in that area, and the car went down that entire slope before striking a concrete culvert, Choi said.

Crews from North County Fire, Cal Fire San Diego and the Pala Fire Department all worked to rescue the driver, who was the only person in the vehicle.

The driver was taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido with life-threatening injuries.

No information on the driver or the circumstances leading up to the crash were immediately available.