Driver plows through bushes in Encinitas parking lot, beats and kills man lying in grass

A 44-year-old man died Friday afternoon, June 24, while lying next to woods in the Encinitas parking lot when the driver of an SUV broke a tree and hit a tree. well, the administration said.

It happened just before 3:45 p.m. in the Enterprise Bank & amp; Located at North El Camino Real about half a mile north of Encinitas Boulevard, according to San Diego sheriff’s Lt. David Collins.

Sheriff’s officials said the victim was lying on a grass on a fence below and in sight of the parking lot when he was hit. He died at the scene.

It is unclear why the driver of the SUV, a 61 -year -old woman, went off the road and went into the woods.

The Sheriff’s office previously said he was detained by deputies on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. But a news report several hours after the incident said investigators had not “confirmed whether alcohol or drugs were a significant factor.”

Friday, June 24, was the third time in three years that San Diego County drivers fell from roads and killed people sleeping or sitting on the ground.

On July 4, 2019, a driver struck a bus stop in Mission Valley, killing two homeless men and seriously injuring a woman who was crouched behind her. Last year, a driver was run over on a sidewalk lined with homeless people in tents, killing three and injuring several others in a ditch below. of San Diego City College.

Anyone with information about the Friday, June 24 emergency is requested to contact the North Coastal substation police at (760) 966-3500.

9:22 am June 25, 2022: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.

9:22 am June 25, 2022: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.