COTO DE CAZA : Youth Killed in Fall From Moving Truck
A 17-year-old Compton youth died after falling off a runaway truck and striking his head on the pavement in Coto de Caza, authorities said.
Fernando Diaz was pronounced dead on arrival at Mission Community Hospital in Mission Viejo shortly after the accident at 7:55 a.m. Saturday, law enforcement officials said.
According to a spokeswoman for the California Highway Patrol, Diaz was a one of three passengers who were helping to push a pickup truck that had run out of gas on Vista Del Verde early Saturday.
When the truck began rolling downhill, the three jumped onto the rear bumper and held onto the truck’s camper shell, the CHP spokeswoman said. The driver, identified as Heribito Diaz, 23, also of Compton, apparently steered the truck into a driveway and Fernando Diaz either fell or jumped, hitting his head on the asphalt.
The other passengers were identified as Juan Montes, 25, and Ignacio Ibarra, 18, both of Compton.
An investigation is pending, CHP officials said.
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