Pickup driver dies after apparent heart attack

A 60-year-old Ramona man who apparently suffered a heart attack while driving in Ramona on March 31 rolled his pickup truck and died at the scene.

The accident occurred at about 10:30 a.m. near the intersection of Pamo and Burma roads, according to Cal Fire San Diego Capt. John Heggie.

California Highway Patrol Sgt. Daniel Gilbert said the pickup was traveling at about 20 miles per hour southbound on Pamo Road just north of Burma Road when it veered off the west edge of the roadway. The pickup then went up a steep embankment and overturned onto its side, Gilbert said. He said a 36-year-old man and a 60-year-old man who were passengers were able to exit the pickup safely, but the driver was having difficulty breathing.

Although bystanders attempted to perform CPR on the driver, he died at the scene of the accident, Heggie said.

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s office declined to release the man’s identity April 2 pending notification of his family.

In an unrelated accident, two vehicles collided on state Route 67 near Shady Bend Road on March 24, causing one of the autos to hit a tree.

The accident involved a 73-year-old man driving a Suzuki Samurai with a 71-year-old woman passenger, and a 33-year-old man driving a Scion XB without any passengers.

Both cars were approaching Shady Bend as they were heading north on state Route 67 at about 10:10 a.m.

CHP officer Benjamin Demarest said the Scion was traveling directly ahead of the Suzuki when the Scion attempted to make a left turn onto Shady Bend. The Suzuki came up from behind and failed to slow in time so the driver veered to the right and struck the right rear portion of the Scion.

“The Suzuki goes around the Scion, loses control and hits a tree on the right shoulder of the southbound lane,” Demarest said.

Demarest said the Suzuki’s driver had a broken leg and his passenger complained of chest pain after the accident. Both were transported to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido. The Scion’s driver was not injured.

In a separate accident on March 21, a two-car collision involving a suspected drunken driver left one person seriously injured after the incident occurred on Hanson Lane just after 8 p.m.

The accident occurred when a green 2006 Ford F-150 pickup truck heading westbound on Hanson Lane struck a black 1987 Ford Bronco sport utility vehicle as it was leaving a private driveway.

Travis Garrow, public information officer for the California Highway Patrol, said the Bronco was hit as it was facing north and trying to make a left turn to go west on Hanson Lane near Glae Jean Court. The F-150 was also westbound on Hanson and rear-ended the Bronco, causing the Bronco to roll over. Both vehicles were heavily damaged and towed from the scene, the CHP reported.

Both the 27-year-old man driving the F-150 and the 40-year-old man driving the Bronco are Ramona residents. The F-150 driver suffered minor injuries and the Bronco driver had major injuries, and both were transported to Palomar Medical Center for treatment, the CHP reported.

Garrow said the F-150 driver tried to flee the scene after the accident.

“He tried to leave the scene but a couple of good Samaritans down the block stopped him,” Garrow said.

Subsequently, the F-150 driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and hit and run. He was booked into the Vista Detention Facility.

Among other accidents that occurred recently in Ramona are a two-vehicle accident and a three-vehicle accident on March 14. One right-of-way violation occurred at Main and 14^th streets between a Kia and a Toyota, and a rear-end collision with a minor injury occurred between two Fords and a Nissan. No one was transported to the hospital in either collision.

In previous weeks, a cluster of vehicle accidents occurred on state Route 67 in Ramona, many of which involved injuries to drivers.

The first occurred at about 5 p.m. Feb. 25 in the 17900 block of SR-67 south of Mussey Grade Road. A Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle, Cadillac Escalade SUV and a Toyota Sienna minivan collided when one vehicle made an unsafe turning move onto SR-67 while another vehicle attempted to pass.

Garrow said two adults and a 9-year-old boy were transported to a hospital with minor injuries.

An accident occurred at about 7:25 a.m. Feb. 28 near 17532 SR-67. Four vehicles involved in the collision were a Dodge Ram pickup truck, Ford F-150 pickup truck, Chevy Tahoe SUV, and a Ford Fusion sedan.

Garrow said it was a rear-end traffic collision on southbound SR-67 north of Air Mail Lane.

“The back car rear-ended one car and pushed it into the next two vehicles,” he said.

Although none of the people involved in the accident were taken to the hospital, Garrow said two adults reported minor injuries.

The next accident occurred at about 2 p.m. March 3 on SR-67 south of Rancho de Oro Drive. Garrow said it involved a Toyota Corolla and a Honda Civic when one driver was pulling out of a driveway and making an unsafe entry onto SR-67. One person was transported to the hospital, he said.

Another collision occurred at about 1:20 p.m. March 5 on SR-67 at Hunter Street.

Garrow said the accident occurred when a Hyundai Azera sedan heading eastbound on Hunter Street turned left on SR-67 and struck a Harley-Davidson motorcycle while it was traveling southbound on SR-67.

“The car made an unsafe entry into the roadway and the motorcycle hit the left side of the car,” Garrow said.

An elderly man driving the Harley-Davidson and an elderly woman driving the Hyundai Azera were both transported to a hospital with minor to moderate injuries, Garrow said.

“We all know how dangerous it is (on SR-67),” he said. “It seems like they’re all for different reasons as well.”