Man Found Dead Behind the Wheel of Car Stopped on San Diego Freeway
A 40-year-old man was found dead behind the wheel of his car on the northbound San Diego Freeway on Thursday, apparently of natural causes.
Authorities responded about 6:15 p.m. to an emergency report of a stalled vehicle in the slow lane near the Beach Boulevard exit, California Highway Patrol Officer Keith Bauer said. When officials arrived at the scene to investigate, they found the driver in a white vehicle slumped over the wheel.
Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene, officials said.
“He didn’t die from a traffic accident,” Bauer said.
The man was identified as Dzung Phan of Santa Ana. The stopped vehicle created a huge traffic jam for about three hours during the evening commute, Bauer said. At one point, traffic was backed up into Costa Mesa.
“Traffic was already pretty heavy at the time and that’s a stretch along the 405 that’s usually backed up anyway,” Bauer said.
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