One man dead, another listed in critical condition after accident

A 24-year-old Ramona man is dead and a 23-year-old is in critical condition following an accident early Saturday morning on San Vicente Road.

The accident occurred just before 1 a.m. March 27, when Bryan Patrick Powers, driver of a 2005 Acura RSX that was eastbound on San Vicente Road west of Arena Drive, lost control of the vehicle. California Highway Patrol reported that the car was traveling at a high rate of speed.

Powers and Ryan Michael Cupples, a passenger in the car, were airlifted to trauma centers at area hospitals with major head injuries and internal injuries, the CHP reported. Cupples, who suffered a closed-head injury, was pronounced dead at 12:15 p.m. on March 27 in Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, the medical examiner’s office reported.

Powers was taken to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where he was in critical condition, hospital spokesman Andy Hoang said Tuesday.

Cupples and Powers graduated from Ramona High School, Cupples in 2003 and Powers in 2004.

A celebration of Cupples’ life will be held at Calvary Chapel at 114 14th St. in Ramona at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 2.

The son of Mick and Lura Cupples, he loved surfing, and on Tuesday a surfboard was tied to a tree off San Vicente Road near the accident scene.

According to the CHP, Powers was eastbound on San Vicente Road when, due to the vehicle’s high rate of speed, he was unable to maintain control of the vehicle at a curve in the road. The Acura crossed over the double yellow lines directly in front of a westbound CHP vehicle, and, in an apparent effort to avoid colliding with the patrol vehicle, Powers abruptly steered the Acura to the right and drove off the south side of the road, where it struck a large tree and a large rock, said CHP Officer Brian Pennings.

It is unknown if alcohol was involved in the accident. Pennings said the CHP is awaiting results of toxicology reports.

Cupples, who was single, lived with his parents. He had earned certification as an emergency medical technician.