Son’s body found in mangled car after father receives GPS crash alert

PAUMA VALLEY, Calif. – Authorities found a man's body in a car that had careened down an embankment after his father received an alert from a GPS device, according to California Highway Patrol.

The 28-year-old man’s father contacted CHP around 5:45 a.m. after receiving the alert that his son had been involved in a crash in Pauma Valley, California Highway Patrol Officer Mark Latulippe said. Pauma Valley is located in San Diego County, just west of Cleveland National Forest.

Officers and firefighters searched Pauma Heights Road, which was blanketed in heavy fog, and located a Mazda 3 sedan around 7:15 a.m. about 500 feet down an embankment off the right side of the road, Latulippe said.

Investigators believe the Pauma man was traveling downhill at high speed when he lost control of the car, which went off the right side of the road, Latulippe said.

The driver, who was found inside the car, was pronounced dead at the scene, Latulippe said. His name was withheld pending family notification.