From today's local paper............................................. .....................................Car rolls off road, smacks tree, killing 3By Onell R. SotoSTAFF WRITERJanuary 22, 2006 LA MESA – Three people were killed after the sports car they were riding in smashed through a freeway fence and crashed into a backyard tree yesterday, moments after its driver tried to pass a car using the median on state Route 94. A teenager had just finished playing basketball in the back yard about 2:15 p.m. and was raking leaves when he saw the car, on its side, careening toward him. The car hit a rock berm his father had piled along the freeway fence after a similar crash last year, the teen said. "It was loud," Omar Asfar said, describing the noise of the impact as he got out of the way of the car, which crashed, roof-first, into the tree. One of the rocks hit him in the leg and another crashed through a wall and into a bedroom where his sister and mother were working on a computer. None of them was injured. No identities were available yesterday for the two men and one woman who died in the crash of the white 1986 Nissan 300 ZX, California Highway Patrol spokesman Brian Pennings said. The woman was 22, Pennings said. The Medical Examiner's Office said the men were ages 33 and 29. The car was registered in Ramona. "We were doing about 60 (mph), and he shot right past us," said a man who witnessed the crash. He said the car was westbound on the freeway just before the College Avenue exit when its driver tried to pass a Chevrolet Blazer by using the center divide. The Nissan sideswiped the Chevrolet and lost control, tumbling two or three times before crashing, said the witness, who did not want to give his name. He was among about a dozen people who ran to the car and righted it in an effort to help the occupants before paramedics arrived. "It was on its side, wrapped around the tree," he said. The Chevrolet sustained minor damage, the CHP said. It was the second time in as many days that a freeway crash caused multiple deaths in San Diego County. On Friday, a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle plunged about 70 feet off Interstate 805 in National City, landing roof-first onto Plaza Boulevard and killing both occupants. Residents of King Street in La Mesa, where the Nissan ended up, said crashes are frequent, especially on the nearby exit for College Avenue in San Diego, where drivers often are surprised because they have to quickly slow down because of a short off-ramp. Two drunken drivers, they said, have gone off the freeway in the past year. One of them also smashed into the back yard of the Asfar home. Omar's father, Talal "Willie" Asfar, said yesterday's crash hit too close to home. "My whole family almost got killed today," he said. The family had recently returned from picking up a birthday cake for Omar, who turns 16 today. Willie Asfar was among those who righted the car, and said he was surprised to learn that three people had been inside. He said he has no plans to move from the house, which his family had rented for three years and just purchased Friday. But he said he wants a wall to protect his back yard from the freeway. "It's the second time we have been saved by the trees," he said. "But there's no more trees out there."

 

doh! that sucks!

 

That whole deal is scary, but can you imagine those two people in the Beetle though? a 70 foot fall is like at least two whole seconds of sheer terror upside down with no hope of survival. Both are just a nasty way to go.

 

(sigh) what a waist of a good z31, i wonder if/how much drugs where involved.

 

That's crazy. I would definitly build a wall. Fortified, 1 that can take a hit from a car traveling at those speeds. That is just crazy, Very sad to hear about those people, and the Z. That is also why I have to drive myself everywhere. All 3 of the accidents I've been in, I have been the passenger. After my third one, I won't let other people drive. That sucks for the passengers, Two died because one tried to pass on the shoulder, that is not cool

 

lol. It kinda makes you wonder doesn't it?

 

I'm assuming this was a 2+2? Otherwise, if it wasn't they were asking for trouble to start.

 

Stooopid is right. Passing in the median, always a good idea. NOT!!!!!! I wonder how fast the boner was going when he lost it. I like to drive like an animal at times but it's done very selectively and without passangers. Know the limits of your car and keep it between the ditches.

 

Ha Ha, Keep it between the ditches, I wish that would of been true for me Saterday night. I was driveing my 03 Ranger doin about 40 when a deer came out of nowhere, I hit a 4 foot ditch doing 40, instant stop, I was ok, I got out to check for damage, Front bumper was compleatly under ground, barly see the grill. My grill is almost 3 1/2 feet of the ground due to ground clearence and Alteranes for tire's. Bad thing, Instant stop diod 40 and hit a ditch. Non of the air bag's deploid. My rear end was in the air. My truck was over a 45 Degree angel *** high. I knew a guy not far and walked to his house(cell phones don't work here). He has a Z71, tryed to pull me out, no luck. Ranger was framed out, hell even the frame was under ground. A deer put me in the ditch, and a Deer pulled me out. After the truck was pulled out, i checked for damage, the tire's hit the ditch at a angle, but Non of the truck was damaged, and no aliment problems. I drove home. talk about lucky as hell. Those three above were nto so lucky, but passing on the medain is asking for trouble like that.

 

Man Fubar that's crazy. It's amazing when things like that happen and everything turns out alright. Dirt must have been soft enough that you went through it without alot of impact to the truck.

 

Typical Ford I've owned a few Fords in my short time and they've all been in front end collisions (one by myself, 2 by signifigant others, and one by a mother in law) except one. All were over 40mph, and none deployed the air bag. But the funny thing is one of them, the ZX2, finally deployed it's airbag on the tow home The one ford I've owned that wasn't in a front end collision was my 65 Mustang which was rolled and didn't have airbags anyways. I've never been in an accident (while driving) in any other car except for my ZX2 and my Mustang. My wife and her mom has never been in an accident at all except for the 2 Escorts and the Thunderbird they managed to smash. So my wife and I try to stay away from Fords. But now she wants an Escape. I'm trying to talk her out of it

 

.,..and yet, they go off at mere fender benders. my sister's '01 V6 bumped the rear end of an eclipse, causing both airbags to deploy. to replace the airbags alone wirth around $1600.

another reason why my '85 GT is better than my sister's 01 V6. no air bags!!

 

Ive seen a Ranger that hit perctly square in the bumper at maybe 20 with minimal damage to the bumper and no damage to the frame and both bags went off, just like they should. Ive seen lots that hit at an angle at much higher speeds with no deployment. The accelerometers used in SRS systems are very sensitive. Im not sure of the exact numbers, but I think they have to see 20-30gs before they will trigger the bag. Thats consistent with a headon at about 20 with a parked car or wall. with the exception of side curtain airbags ad whatever other safety garbage, thats the only impact that should set them off. Dont get me wrong, I like safety, but I would rather have a 5point harness and a Butler Built seat helmet, etc than all the airbags in the world.

 

i use to drive there and yes it is a very dangerous place to crach let alone pass any one up. i was born an rasied in southern san diego ( el -cajon ) and i know that right now i miss San Diego more then anything