Witnesses Sought to Motorcyclist’s Fatal Crash on I-5

A motorcyclist was killed early Wednesday in what the California Highway Patrol said may have been a felony hit-and-run incident.

The victim, 41-year-old Oliver Steele of San Diego, was riding north on Interstate 5, north of Ortega Highway, when he was “possibly sideswiped” by another vehicle and knocked off his motorcycle, said CHP Officer Steve Miles.

Steele suffered major injuries despite wearing a helmet, said CHP spokesman Bruce Lian. He was was pronounced dead at Mission Hospital Regional Medical Center in Mission Viejo, Miles said

Steele was driving between 55 and 60 m.p.h. when the accident occurred at 5:35 a.m., he said. The CHP is asking anyone who might have witnessed the incident to call its offices in San Juan Capistrano at (714) 661-6215.

Although there was light fog and it was still dark at the time of the incident, the morning commute was underway and “we have the feeling someone might have seen what happened,” Miles said.