A 22-year-old believed to be the driver in a Vista hit-and-run crash fatally shot himself while deputies were looking for him Tuesday night, sheriff’s officials said.

The man’s mother was nearby and told deputies he had phoned her, asking her to pick him up, Deputy Sean Gallagher said in a statement.

Authorities did not release his name.

The collision occurred about 6:40 p.m. Tuesday when the man was southbound on Melrose Drive in a Honda Civic. He ran a red light at Shadowridge Drive and crashed into a Hyundai Santa Fe, Gallagher said. One of the cars overturned.


The Honda driver took off running. The Hyundai driver was unhurt.

Deputies started looking around the neighborhood for the Honda driver. Then, Gallagher said, a woman flagged down one deputy and said the man they were looking for had just shot himself.

He was found, severely wounded, lying in some bushes at Countryside Drive and Club Heights Lane. Deputies started CPR until medics came and took the man to a trauma center, Gallagher said.

The man died at the hospital.


Gallagher said the man had called his mother, asked her to pick him up and gave her directions to the location.

Authorities did not immediately know if the man was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time. No reason was given for his suicide.


pauline.repard@sduniontribune

Twitter: @pdrepard