Two Swiss Tourists Die in Van Crash
Two Swiss visitors were killed and four others were injured when their van careened down a highway embankment in Escondido and hit a tree, authorities said Tuesday.
Michel Ramel, 22, and Lenoir Nicolas, 18, were both vacationing from Lasbossons, Switzerland, and were killed in the Monday night crash on Interstate 15 just south of the Rock Springs Road crossing, the county medical examiner’s office said.
Officials said witnesses reported the van traveling south, faster than 70 m.p.h.
The driver, Denis Aencoz, 24, of Lasbossons, Switzerland, was taken to Scripps Memorial Hospital, La Jolla. Aencoz was in stable condition Tuesday night, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter, the California Highway Patrol said.
Authorities were unable to provide information about Aencoz’s arrest, saying that the custody circumstances could indicate alcohol was involved.
Information about the three other van passengers was also limited. All three men are from Lasbossons, Switzerland, all survived the crash and were taken to hospitals. Two of the men had minor injuries and one had serious injuries, a CHP spokesman said.
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