By Gina Yarbrough
Oceanside, CA–A solo vehicle collision on State Route 78 has claimed one life and left another person injured in Oceanside Saturday morning.
The Oceanside Fire Department reported that the vehicle veered off eastbound SR-78 at freeway speeds and crashed into the back of the Arco Gas Station structure at 3804 Plaza Drive.
The accident took place at 9:51 a.m. when the vehicle collided with a homeless encampment and struck the gas station’s vapor recovery tank.
The vehicle, which had two occupants, sustained severe damage. Firefighters had to use extrication tools to access the passenger compartment.
One occupant was declared dead at the scene. The other occupant was rushed to a nearby hospital with injuries.
There were no reported injuries from the homeless encampment.
San Diego County HazMat teams were dispatched to monitor for any hazardous materials released from the gas station. Still, fire officials have confirmed that there is no immediate threat of dangerous waste at the site.
The cause of the crash remains unknown.
The California Highway Patrol is currently investigating the incident.
