Two killed in Old Highway 395 crash

A man and a woman were killed Sunday, Feb. 16, in a crash on Old Highway 395 near Fallbrook, authorities said.

The crash was reported a little before 2:15 p.m. on the highway just south of Reche Road, North County Fire Department Capt. John Choi said.

One vehicle – later determined by the California Highway Patrol to be a Ford Mustang – veered off the west side of the roadway and crashed about 30 feet down a ravine, Choi said.

According to CHP Officer Kevin Smale, it's believed a 42-year-old Fallbrook man was driving the Mustang with a 39-year-old Oceanside woman in the passenger seat. As the driver headed south on Old Highway 395, he apparently lost control of the car, and it spun out over the side of the highway and into a tree, ejecting both the himself and the passenger.

Rescue workers responded to the scene and found both of vehicle's occupants pulseless and not breathing upon arrival. They were pronounced dead at the scene, Choi said.

Firefighters worked Sunday afternoon to retrieve the victims' bodies from the crash site, which was difficult to access due to the area's terrain.

Both sides of Old Highway 395 were blocked in the area of the crash for a time, but reopened by 6:30 p.m., the CHP said.

Neither of the victims were immediately able to be identified.

It's unknown if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

Will Fritz can be reached by email at [email protected].