Marine Struck by Car, Killed

A Marine was hit by a car and killed early Saturday morning while walking down the middle of the San Diego Freeway in San Juan Capistrano, according to officials from the county coroner’s office and the California Highway Patrol.

The man, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of his family, was believed to be stationed at Camp Pendleton, just south of the Orange County border, said supervising deputy coroner Joseph Luckey.

The man wore dark clothing and was walking in the middle of the southbound lanes near the San Joaquin Hills tollway. At 3:57 a.m., he was struck by a blue 2000 Mustang traveling about 65 miles per hour, a CHP dispatcher said. He landed on the double yellow lines that divide the carpool lane from the rest of the highway.

The freeway was closed for 2 1/2 hours. No further information was available Saturday evening.

Alcohol and drug tests will be done as required by state law in traffic fatalities, Luckey said.