SAN DIEGO — Two men who had been sleeping in bushes along an Escondido street were killed when a 13-year-old crashed her mother's SUV while fleeing from police, authorities said.
One of the men died at the scene of the Friday night crash on North Ash Street at East Mission Avenue. The other man was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The incident started about 11:20 p.m. PST, when an officer pulled over a white Ford Explorer on East Mission near Gamble Street for a suspected traffic violation, Escondido police Lt. Kevin Toth said.
But what the officer did not know, Toth said, is that the driver was a 13-year-old who had sneaked off in her mom's SUV. One of the teen's friends was in the passenger seat.
As the officer walked up to the car, the girl hit the gas and drove off, headed east down Mission. When she reached Ash Street, a little more than a half mile down the road, she turned left but lost control of the Explorer, Toth said.
The SUV slid into the planter on the east side of Ash, in front of a fenced-off San Diego Gas & Electric transfer facility.
Officers caught up to the Explorer and arrested the two girls. They also discovered the two victims, who Toth said are believed to be homeless. Authorities are trying to identify them.
The girls were released to their parents.
As police investigated the crash scene, a passing car crashed into an empty police patrol vehicle, which was blocking the closed road and had the emergency lights on. No one was hurt, but the motorist was arrested for drunken driving.
Police are continuing to investigate the fatal crash.
