SAN MARCOS (CNS) - A four-vehicle crash just outside San Marcos left a driver dead and three other motorists injured, authorities said Monday.
The 29-year-old Oceanside man behind the wheel of a speeding 1989 Toyota Corolla crossed into oncoming traffic in an attempt to pass a 1997 Dodge Ram on eastbound Buena Creek Road near Sunny Vista Lane shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday, California Highway Patrol Officer Jim Bettencourt said. The Toyota collided head-on with a 2010 Kia Rondo moments later.
The force of the collision sent the Toyota back into the eastbound lane where it struck the Dodge Ram its driver was initially trying to get around.
The Toyota then skidded back to the westbound side and crashed into a 2008 Toyota Tundra, Bettencourt said.
The Toyota's driver died at the scene. His passenger, a 30-year-old Escondido man, suffered major injuries and was taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido to be treated. The Kia's driver and passenger, a married couple from Vista, suffered moderate injuries and were also taken to Palomar, Bettencourt said.
No one in the Dodge Ram or the Toyota Tundra were injured, according to the officer.
Bettencourt said it was not immediately known whether alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.