Encinitas CA— Monday evening, January 25, 2016, at about 6:30 p.m., deputies from the North Coastal Sheriff’s Station responded to a report of a person down in the roadway near Captain Keno’s Restaurant in the 100 block of North Coast Highway 101, Encinitas.
Updated information from several callers revealed a male pedestrian had been struck by a passing vehicle. The vehicle had possibly left the scene, northbound on 101. The investigation revealed a 72-year-old pedestrian had left Captain Keno’s and began crossing the traffic lanes of North Coast Highway 101, in the general direction of his nearby home.
Near the center of the roadway, between the north- and southbound lanes, he fell to the ground for an unknown reason. He was struck by a Toyota SUV driven by a 27-year-old woman from Carlsbad. The driver did not initially realize she had struck the pedestrian; she believed she had hit a pothole or other roadway hazard.
She stopped several blocks away after her vehicle had a flat tire. The driver walked back to the area of the collision and realized what had happened.
The pedestrian was transported by paramedics to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla’s Trauma Unit. He was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries. At this time, it does not appear alcohol was a factor in the collision.
The Sheriff’s Traffic Accident Reconstruction (STAR) Team responded to assist in the investigation.