Oxnard Man Dies of Injuries From Crash
A 24-year-old Oxnard man who was critically injured last weekend in a car crash near Cal State Channel Islands died Friday after being taken off life support equipment, authorities said Saturday.
Mario Rodriguez Vasquez, a farm laborer, never regained consciousness after being injured in the wreck, which occurred about 6:30 p.m. May 6 on a dirt road near Potrero and Hueneme roads, authorities said.
He was pronounced dead about 1:15 p.m. Friday at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, said James Baroni, a senior deputy coroner. The cause of death was blunt force head injuries, Baroni said.
Vasquez was one of three people riding in a 1987 Nissan Maxima when it crashed. The driver, Diego Mendez, 20, of Oxnard, failed to negotiate a turn and rolled the car into a ditch, the California Highway Patrol reported.
Mendez suffered minor cuts and scrapes. The other passenger, Antonio Rosales, also 20, of Oxnard, was not injured.
At the time of the crash, Vasquez was not wearing a seat belt, Baroni said.
Mendez is under investigation for allegedly being under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, authorities said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
