BALLENA - A head-on collision between two pickup trucks on a mountain road in eastern San Diego County killed one of the drivers Friday and sent the other, who was unlicensed, to a hospital, authorities said.
The crash occurred about 11:15 a.m., when 20-year-old Justin Jones of Ranchita lost control of the 1999 Dodge Ram 1500 he was driving on Julian Road in the Ballena area, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The westbound truck veered directly into the path of an oncoming 2002 Ford F-150 near Old Julian Highway, CHP public affairs Officer Brian Pennings said.
The resulting collision killed the 53-year-old driver of the Ford at the scene. His name with withheld pending notification of his family.
Medics took Jones, who is not licensed to drive, to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido for treatment of moderately serious injuries, the spokesman said.
Preliminary evidence indicated that the Julian man killed in the crash was not wearing a seat belt. Jones was properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to Pennings.
