Encinitas

A man who was killed Wednesday night when he ran across Interstate 5 in an attempt to elude sheriff’s deputies has been identified.

William Brown, 36, of San Marcos died instantly after he was struck by three cars at 6:46 p.m., California Highway Patrol Officer Robert Polzin said.

Brown had apparently been involved in a traffic altercation with another driver on Manchester Boulevard in Solana Beach, then followed the man home. The motorist, an Encinitas resident, called the Sheriff’s Department when Brown banged on his door and threatened bodily harm, Polzin said.

Deputies arrived and approached Brown’s pickup truck. Brown immediately sped away, knocking a deputy to the ground. The deputy was unhurt. The other deputy chased Brown in his patrol car to the southbound lanes of I-5, Polzin said.

Brown pulled over and crossed the center divider on foot, into the northbound lanes near the Lomas Sante Fe exit. He was hit and killed when he tried to run across the freeway.

Authorities believe Brown may have been intoxicated, as empty beer cans were found in the cab of his truck, Sheriff’s Deputy Pearl Janulewicz said. The coroner will determine whether Brown had been drinking, she said.

Janulewicz said counseling was provided by a trauma intervention group at the scene of the accident for the drivers of the cars that hit Brown.