UPDATE: The driver has been identified by the San Diego County Department of the Medical Examiner as John Ben Disney, a 67-year-old, married, Caucasian male.
Escondido CA— This afternoon, January 1, 2016 just before 3:00pm, the Escondido Police Department received a call of collision debris on Metcalf Street which runs north and south directly under SR-78.
After investigating the scene they could not locate a vehicle and went onto SR-78 to investigate further.
Upon arrival onto SR-78, Escondido Police located a collision of a vehicle into the concrete retaining wall protecting Metcalf St. from SR-78.
At an unknown time or date a male from San Bernardino was driving his 2003 Chevrolet Suburban the wrong way on SR-78 traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of traffic. He merged into the center median and drove off an embankment at a high rate of speed, colliding head on into a concrete retaining wall protecting Metcalf St.
The driver was pronounced dead on scene.
There were no calls into the CHP dispatch center of a wrong way driver or a collision overnight.
At this time it is unknown if alcohol or drugs played a factor in this collision. The incident remains under investigation. No other vehicles were involved.