A man died Friday after a pickup truck collided with a sedan on Interstate 5 in Encinitas.
The crash occurred at approximately 1:15 a.m. in the northbound lanes of I-5 between Manchester and Birmingham, according to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Curtis Martin.
The driver of a black Nissan pickup truck was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after he rear-ended a silver Hyundai Elantra that was parked on the shoulder of the freeway.
Other drivers stopped to help but couldn't get the injured driver out of the Hyundai because of the damage to the door.
A witness described walking up to see if anyone was injured.
“I tried to open up the driver’s side door and was unable to while I was on the phone with 911,” the man said. “I was able to cut him out of his seatbelt.”
The Hyundai driver, a 72-year-old man from Florida, was rushed to Scripps La Jolla according to City of Solana Beach, Encinitas and Del Mar Battalion Chief Robert Ford.
Local
Four hours after the crash, CHP released information that the sedan driver had died as a result of his injuries.
The pickup driver was identified as identified as Dean Bednarcyzk, 42 of Oceanside. He was taken to Scripps Encinitas to be checked out and was later booked into the Vista Detention Facility on manslaughter and felony DUI charges.
Joseph Bush also stopped at the scene fo the crash and said the pickup truck driver was disoriented after the crash but appeared uninjured.
“He kept asking me ‘What happened, what happened,’” Bush said. “He started cleaning out his car and putting stuff in bags.”
CHP is investigating the collision.
