A motorcyclist died early Thursday in a crash on south Interstate 5 in the Carmel Valley area, authorities said.
The 35-year-old San Diego man crashed into the back of a Mini Cooper as he headed south on I-5 south of Carmel Valley Road around 1:10 a.m., said California Highway Patrol Officer Salvador Castro. It’s not clear why he struck the car, which was being driven by a 55-year-old woman from Imperial Beach.
The impact threw the rider off his motorcycle and he landed in traffic lanes. He was then struck by a Nissan Sentra that was driven by a 52-year-old San Diego woman.
The rider suffered major injuries and died at a hospital.
All lanes of I-5 southbound, south of Carmel Valley Road were closed for the traffic investigation and traffic was diverted into a carpool lane. The freeway in the area was completely reopen by 3 a.m., the CHP said.
It was not known if drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash. The county Medical Examiner’s Office is awaiting a toxicology report.
