Yesterday morning, a drive through Carmel Valley turned deadly when a 64-year-old woman was killed after the SUV she was driving overturned and landed on its roof along El Camino Real near Elijah Court. San Diego police and San Diego Fire-Rescue crews reached the scene shortly after 10 AM, and firefighters had to cut into the wreckage to free the trapped driver. Authorities said there were no other reported injuries.
Officers arrived to find a 2010 BMW SUV upside down at the intersection. The vehicle had gone over the west curb, climbed an embankment and then flipped, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. Fire crews stayed on scene for nearly an hour while they worked to extricate the woman, police told the paper. Investigators said it is still unknown whether drugs or alcohol played any role in the crash.
Where it happened
El Camino Real through Carmel Valley is a busy multi-lane arterial that serves steady commuter and retail traffic. The stretch near Elijah Court includes curbed medians and roadside embankments that can make a single-vehicle wreck particularly violent. City traffic studies show higher daily volumes between Townsgate Drive and Elijah Court, which can complicate emergency response and cleanup in the corridor, according to City of San Diego traffic documents.
How to help
San Diego police are asking anyone who saw the crash or has additional information to contact the department's Traffic Division or call San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. Tips can be submitted anonymously through San Diego County Crime Stoppers.
Why rollovers are especially deadly
Rollover and roadway-departure crashes are often far more lethal than other types of collisions. The Federal Highway Administration notes that overturns and rollovers account for a large share of roadway-departure fatalities. That heightened danger is one reason emergency crews move quickly to stabilize the scene and free trapped occupants in rollover incidents, since every minute can affect the outcome.
The investigation into the Carmel Valley crash is ongoing, and the San Diego Police Department has not yet released the victim's name, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. Detectives with SDPD's Traffic Division were at the scene and will review any available video as they work to determine what led to the single-vehicle rollover.
