Two 23-year-old women died today, along with a 34-year-old man, in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 78 that also sent a fourth person to a hospital with injuries.
All westbound lanes of Highway 78 at Sycamore Avenue were shut down in the wake of the fatal accident that occurred just west of Sycamore Avenue around 12:30 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol. The lanes reopened around 4:30 a.m..
The two women, both of whom worked at Valley View Casino, were riding in a 2008 Nissan Altima that had pulled off on the right shoulder after one of the women became ill, according to the San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office.
Both women were outside the car when a 1994 Jeep Cherokee struck from behind, the Medical Examiner's Office reported, adding that two male companions with the women remained in the car and were unharmed.
A 34-year-old male passenger in the Jeep, however, also died at the scene, according to the Medical Examiner's Office.
Details about the fourth person reportedly injured in the crash were not immediately available. Names of those killed were withheld pending family notification.
One of the women killed lived in Escondido, while the other lived in Valley Center, according to the Medical Examiner's Office. It was not immediately known where the deceased male lived or worked.
