One person is dead after an accident in Oceanside on August 17th.  68-year-old Vaughn Leslie Powell was traveling northbound on Interstate 5 when he was rear-ended north of Harbor Drive. Mr. Powell died at the scene. It was reported that up to three vehicles may have been involved in the accident, one of which was overturned.

A cyclist was killed in Vista on August 17^th. 46-year-old Juan Tomas-Antonio was struck by an SUV on East Vista Way near Taylor Street. He died at the scene. The driver reported that the victim entered the intersection without stopping at a stop sign, and she did not have enough time to stop before striking him.  

Four people were injured after an accident in Oceanside on August 17^th. A car was preparing to turn north onto Guajome Lake Road from Mission Avenue when it was struck by a pickup truck that ran a red light. The truck struck the car at a speed of 55-60 mph. Two of the car’s passengers were children, who were flown to Rady Children’s Hospital. Two adults were transported to La Jolla’s Scripps Memorial Hospital.

Three people were injured in an accident on August 15^th. A pickup truck collided with a car on southbound Interstate 15, north of Aero Drive. The truck then fell over an embankment, landing on the property of a storage facility. Two occupants of the pickup truck were transported to the hospital, along with a man who suffered major injuries after being struck by the pickup when it landed at the storage facility.

The families of four Marines killed in a 2004 helicopter accident have filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Adam E. Miller, Michael S. Lawlor, Lori A. Privette, and Joshua D. Harris were practicing low-level flying procedures near Camp Pendleton when they struck an SDG&E utility tower, killing the four. The families are now suing San Diego Gas & Electric for failing to install safety markers or lights on the tower. Attorneys for the families stated that even with night-vision goggles, the crew was unable to see the 135-foot tower. They believe that the accident could have been prevented if the tower had been equipped with safety lighting. SDG&E’s policy requires the company to install orange markers on power lines over 200 feet high; however, they do not have any policies regarding safety lighting. The families’ lawyer argues that most accidents will occur at levels lower than 200 feet.  Attorneys for SDG&E feel that the Marines are to blame for the accident, as they were warned about the power lines and they were familiar with the area. He further argued that the helicopters went out of the training route boundaries. The trial is expected to last for approximately one month.