Current Weather

San Diego
Current: 76°
Clear
High: 76°
Low: 57°
Wind: 5 MPH
Pressure: 29.83
Humidity: 47 %

Local News

Man Thought to Have Died in Apparent Racing Crash, Died of Natural Causes

Tools

Story Published: Feb 13, 2012 at 7:37 PM PDT

Story Updated: Feb 27, 2012 at 9:05 AM PDT

SAN DIEGO - Authorities released the name of a man who was fatally injured when he crashed his sports car off a rural North County road.

Officers first believed Dean Gittleson, 52, lost control of his silver 2008 Chevrolet Corvette shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, while racing with a tan or dark-colored compact pickup truck on Valley Center Road, north of Canyon Road.

However, now the county Medical Examiner's Office and California Highway Patrol report Gittleson died from natural causes.

"According to the investigating officer, it appears now that the driver had a medical emergency which caused his crash,"  said Officer Jim Bettencourt with the California Highway Patrol.

A family friend reports doctors believe Gittleson died from a brain anneurysm and the car veered off the highway.

The car went off the west side of the roadway, smashed through two fences lining a footpath, spun out and crashed into a tree, CHP public-affairs Officer Jim Bettencourt said.

The driver of the truck witnessed the accident and pulled over and got out along with a male passenger, Bettencourt said. They looked inside the mangled Corvette, then got back into the pickup as emergency crews were pulling up and drove away to the south.

The Oceanside CHP office would like to speak to the driver and passeneger to get more details about the crash.

"We still want to talk to the parties in the pickup truck who stopped to help him right after the crash," Bettencourt said. "It still remains under investigation. "

Medics took Gittleson, a Valley Center resident, to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where he was admitted in critical condition. He succumbed to head and neck injuries early Saturday evening.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Oceanside CHP office.
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
Stay Up-to-Date
with San Diego 6 News Facebook Twitter X

Privacy Statement   |Terms of Use  |   © 2012 Bay City