On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, at 8:16 pm, Oceanside Police responded to a single-vehicle collision in the Southbound lanes of Douglas Drive just South of Pala Road. Upon arrival, officers located two occupants who were pronounced deceased on the scene, while the other four occupants were transported to local trauma centers. Douglas Drive was closed from El Camino Real to Old River Street for several hours to allow for an investigation.
Based on witness statements and physical evidence, preliminary information indicates the mid-sized SUV was traveling Southbound on Douglas Drive at a high rate of speed when the vehicle struck a tree and rolled over several times before coming to a stop. The driver, a thirty year-old female, and a six-year-old female passenger were both ejected from the vehicle and were deceased at the scene. Four passengers, including a ten-year-old male, a thirteen-year old female, a fourteen-year-old male, and a fifteen-year-old male, were all extricated from the vehicle by emergency response personnel. The ten-year-old male and fourteen-year-old male sustained critical injuries and were airlifted to local hospitals. The thirteen-year-old female and fifteen-year-old male were transported to local hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries. The fifteen-year-old male has since been released from the hospital. The identities of the deceased and patients are withheld pending family notifications. All at the Oceanside Police Department offer our sincerest condolences to all impacted by this tragic accident.
The Oceanside Police Department Major Accident Investigation Team encourages anyone with information regarding this collision to contact Traffic Collision Investigator David Paul at (760) 435-4431 or email dcpaul@oceansideca.org.
For media inquiries, please contact Oceanside Police Department Public Information Officer Jennifer Atenza at (760) 277-5237 or email jatenza@oceansideca.org.
