Man Killed, 4 Injured In East County Freeway Pileup

LEMON GROVE, CA — A man was killed over the weekend in a freeway pileup in San Diego's East County, authorities said Monday.

The first crash happened shortly before 4:30 a.m. Sunday when a northbound 2023 Nissan Sentra drove onto the right shoulder of state Route 125, just south of Spring Street in Lemon Grove, and crashed into a 2007 Mercedes-Benz E350 that was stopped on the right shoulder, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Moments later, a 2022 Ford Edge crashed into the Nissan, CHP Officer Jasmine Lopez said. The force of the crash caused the Nissan and the Ford to be moved in the center median.

Following the crashes, one passenger of the Nissan fled on foot, leaving behind a seriously injured passenger, Lopez said. The other passenger died at the scene. The 26-year-old San Diego resident's name was withheld pending family notification.

"The location and determination of the driver is still under investigation," Officer Jasmine Lopez told Patch. "As of now, they're both labeled as passengers until we are able to verify who was the driver."

The driver and two passengers of the Mercedes and the driver of the Ford suffered minor injuries in the wreck, Lopez said.

The investigation was ongoing. It was unknown if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash, Lopez said.