After a grim month on San Diego roads, the county Medical Examiner's Office has released the names of nine people killed in separate crashes in March, from a submerged SUV to deadly motorcycle and pedestrian collisions. The victims came from communities across the county, including Chula Vista, Kearny Mesa, Point Loma and Escondido.
Officials Release Identities From March Crash Spike
According to The San Diego Union‑Tribune, local authorities and the county Medical Examiner made the identifications public this week, pulling together a string of incidents that unfolded over the past month. The Union‑Tribune summarized details from investigators and the Medical Examiner's Office about the circumstances of the crashes and the people who died.
Medical Examiner Details Where, When And How Victims Died
Case listings from the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office show that Monica Silvia Pedroza, 53, and Ignacio Pedroza, 60, were inside an SUV that left the transition ramp from westbound State Route 54 to southbound Interstate 5 and plunged into the Sweetwater River. Both were later pronounced dead, with water submersion and blunt force injuries noted.
The listings also identify 20‑year‑old Christopher Robert Golembieski, who was ejected from a motorcycle and struck by several vehicles on northbound Interstate 5 near L Street in Chula Vista, and 30‑year‑old Charles Anthony Welcome, who was hit while standing in the roadway on West Point Loma Boulevard near Famosa Boulevard.
In another case, 35‑year‑old Jeffrey Thomas Ramsey Jr. was struck on eastbound State Route 52 near Convoy Street and died days later at Sharp Memorial Hospital. The office also reports that 86‑year‑old William John Roth died after suffering grave injuries in a collision in Escondido, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.
Rancho Peñasquitos Bus Crash Shocks Neighbors
One incident that drew particular attention unfolded on March 10 in Rancho Peñasquitos, when a Poway Unified school bus struck a 69‑year‑old man who was out walking his dogs at Paseo Montalban and Via Cima Bella, according to NBC 7 San Diego. Bystanders who rushed in to help described the man's injuries as severe. One good Samaritan told the station, "It was horrible. It was bad. I have never seen anything so bad before." Police said the man's dogs were not hurt and that the bus driver was not suspected of impairment as investigators continued their work.
Advocates Say Cluster Of Deaths Highlights High‑Injury Streets
Safety advocates and transportation planners say the recent string of deaths underscores what they have been warning about for years: high‑injury corridors need fixes sooner rather than later. From 2018 through 2022, more than 4,000 people in the region were killed or seriously injured on local roads, according to the San Diego Association of Governments' Vision Zero report. The report calls for a coordinated regional action plan that targets the most dangerous stretches and uses rapid "quick‑build" safety upgrades. SANDAG says the plan will prioritize hot spots and funding with the goal of reducing traffic deaths.
Investigations into each collision remain active, and authorities say they will release more information as it becomes available. Officials are asking anyone with video or other information to contact the investigating agencies. NBC 7 noted that tips and footage can also be shared through Crime Stoppers at 888‑580‑8477. The Medical Examiner's public case listings will continue to be updated as new details are confirmed.
