Julian man killed in SR-78 head-on

A 53-year-old Julian man was killed in a head-on collision on state Route 78 west of Old Julian Highway on Friday, Nov. 20.

Rees Boynton Skinner was eastbound in a Ford F-150 pickup truck about 11:15 a.m. when a westbound Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck driven by Justin Jones, 20, of Ranchita drifted onto the right shoulder of the road, reported the California Highway Patrol. Jones over-corrected, causing him to lose control of the truck, which crossed the solid double-yellow line and drove directly into the path of Skinner’s vehicle, said CHP Officer Brian Pennings.

According to the CHP’s initial investigation, Skinner, the sole occupant in his vehicle, was not wearing a seatbelt. Jones, who was wearing a seatbelt, was taken by ambulance to Palomar Medical Center with moderate injuries, said Pennings. Jones was driving without a license.

Numerous witnesses stopped to give aid, including a nurse, but Skinner was pinned in the vehicle and died before paramedics arrived, the medical examiner’s office reported.

The eastbound lane of SR-78 was blocked after the accident, and the westbound lane was used for one-way traffic control during cleanup and investigation.

The initial investigation showed that no drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.