OCEANSIDE, Calif. — A 27-year-old driver died in a collision, possibly while racing with another vehicle, when he lost control of a Dodge Charger and crashed into another vehicle, police said Saturday.
The crash happened around 7:40 p.m. Friday in the 4300 block of Mesa Drive, according to Sgt. Rick Davis of the Oceanside Police Department traffic services unit.
Police said the Charger spun into oncoming traffic, striking a Mini Cooper, rolling over multiple times and traveling 350 feet down an embankment.
"Based on physical evidence at the scene and witness statements, it appears the Dodge Charger was traveling at a high rate of speed westbound on Mesa Drive possibly racing a silver vehicle," Davis said. The other vehicle left the scene headed westbound on Mesa Drive, authorities said.
"Speed is definitely a factor in this collision," the sergeant said.
When police arrived at the scene, they found an unresponsive man inside the Charger and two seriously injured people lying outside the Mini Cooper.
Paramedics arrived and pronounced the Dodge driver dead, Davis said. The two victims in the Mini Cooper were taken by air ambulance to a hospital.
The OPD major accident investigation team was conducting an investigation.
Anyone with information about the collision was asked to call Accident Investigator Clint Bussey at 760-435-4412.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego's top stories for Sept. 10 at 6 p.m.