Ramona man critically injured in dump truck crash

An investigation was underway Friday into a collision in the Lakeside area that left a 22-year-old Ramona man with life-threatening injuries.

The man was behind the wheel of a small Suzuki sedan that pulled out from a stop sign at the intersection of Posthill Road and state Route 67 and turned into the path of a three-axle dump truck hauling a trailer around 2:40 p.m Thursday, California Highway Patrol Officer Kevin Pearlstein said.

“The Suzuki appeared directly into the path of travel of the truck driver, who had little or no time to react,” Pearlstein said.

The two vehicles collided and the impact caused the truck to roll over onto its side, according to the officer, adding that the dump truck driver was not hurt.

The Suzuki’s driver was airlifted to Sharp Memorial Hospital in San Diego to be treated for major life-threatening injuries, Pearlstein said. Drugs and alcohol were not suspected factors in the crash, he said.

According to social media reports, the injured driver is Chase Simmons.

Motorists in the area were detoured away from the scene for about an hour after the crash.