Oceanside man killed in freeway crash in Encinitas

An 18-year-old Oceanside man was killed early Feb. 16 when his pickup truck rolled over and crashed on Interstate 5 in Encinitas.

The victim hit the brakes for unknown reasons and lost control of his 1992 Nissan pickup truck in the northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway north of Leucadia Boulevard around 3:10 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The pickup veered off the roadway, struck a dirt embankment, rolled several times and knocked over a light pole. That pole fell onto the windshield of a UPS tractor-trailer travelling on the freeway, CHP Officer Jim Bettencourt said.

Firefighters cut the pickup truck’s driver out of the wreckage and took him to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, but he later died, Bettencourt said.

The UPS driver, a 49-year-old West Covina man, was treated at the scene for minor injuries, Bettencourt said.

Bettencourt said it remained unclear if drugs or alcohol were factors in the crash.