These two vehicles collided Tuesday afternoon on the Pacific Coast Highway. The driver of the convertible was killed in the crash, Sheriff’s Department officers at the scene said. Photo by Jim Shilander
By Jim Shilander and Brian Park
A 68-year-old South Dakota man has been identified as the person killed Tuesday in the crash at the intersection of Camino San Clemente and Pacific Coast Highway in San Clemente.
Merle Moen of Rapid City, S.D., was pronounced dead at 2:17 p.m. The crash occurred at approximately 1:45 p.m.
The accident occurred when a black truck traveling northbound on Pacific Coast Highway was struck by Moen’s white convertible, which was turning left from Camino San Clemente, said department spokeswoman Sgt. Yvonne Shull.
A total of five people were involved in the accident. A passenger in the convertible was taken to the hospital for unknown injuries. The driver and two passengers of the truck were not severely injured or taken to the hospital.
A witness nearby said she heard the crash occur at around 2 p.m. and saw the convertible flip and its top pop out.
Both vehicles had out of state license plates: the convertible’s plate was from South Dakota and the truck’s plate was from Nevada.
The cause of the accident is unknown and remains under investigation.
