A 48-year-old civilian employee at Camp Pendleton and resident of Fallbrook was killed in a head-on crash Sunday morning, the San Diego County Medical Examiner reported. The April 18, 2010 crash occurred at about 7:30 a.m. on Ammunition Road on the Naval Weapons Station Fallbrook Annex.
The man was identified as Jose Gaspar Ajca, the driver and sole occupant of a minivan that apparently crossed into the path of an SUV travelling in the opposite direction. According to reports in the San Diego Union Tribune, Ajca was flown to Palomar Medical Center, where he died about an hour after the crash. A hospital corpsman and a civilian in the SUV were taken by ambulance to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The cause of the crash is under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Based upon the limited information provided in news reports, it is unclear why this accident occurred. Investigators will hopefully determine if Mr. Ajca had swerved to avoid something in the road, if he was distracted, or if his vehicle malfunctioned in some way to cause him to lose control of the car.
If the news reports are correct, the two occupants of the SUV were not at fault. Without more information, it is impossible to determine why the crash happened. While this military base accident remains under investigation, the family of Jose Ajca as well as the occupants of the SUV would be well-advised to consult with a San Diego personal injury attorney to better understand their legal rights, options and best course of action going forward.
Sources: San Diego Union Tribune, 10 News, NC Times
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