A 49-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a collision with an SUV in the Rolando area Saturday, police confirmed.
The fatal crash happened around 6:40 p.m. at the intersection of 69th Street and Amherst Street.
Police said a 49-year-old man was riding a Kawasaki motorcycle southbound on 69th Street when he failed to stop at the stop sign at Amherst Street. The motorcyclist broadsided an SUV at the intersection and was thrown from his motorcycle upon impact.
He landed underneath a parked car on the side of the road and was pronounced dead at the scene, police confirmed.
The driver of the SUV was not injured.
Residents in the area, including Melissa Mason, told NBC 7 they heard and witnessed the horrific crash.
“It was such a loud slam,” recalled Mason. “I saw all the bits and pieces just fly in the air as well as him, and he just smacked, kind of rolled and went down and he went behind the car and that’s when we all ran and tried to help.”
Rolando residents say the street where the crash occurred is a popular cut-through some drivers use to avoid El Cajon Boulevard. However, they say the street is very dangerous because people tend to drive through at speeds of up to 60 mph.
Residents told NBC 7 there have a number of accidents in the same area over the last couple of months, and say the intersection combined with a tendency for drivers to speed is an accident waiting to happen.
“Nobody stops here, everybody speeds here. They go 40, 50 miles per hour down this street and it’s every day. These cars [go] so fast, you can’t even cross the street. It’s just an everyday occurrence,” said resident Lezlie Armstrong.
Many neighbors in the area agree that speed bumps need to be installed on the surrounding streets, and several said they intend to petition the city for them.
According to police, the driver of the SUV – a woman in her 40s – was not at fault in Saturday’s fatal crash. Police said the motorcyclist may have been drinking prior to the crash, and the investigation is ongoing.
The name of the motorcyclist has not yet been released, pending a report from the county medical examiner’s office.
Photo Credit: NBC 7 San Diego