SAN DIEGO, CA – A couple from La Mesa tragically lost their lives in a chain-reaction crash Monday evening on the eastbound side of Interstate 8, near the Grossmont Center mall.
James Allina, 79, and his wife, Rosalyn, 77, were in their parked Toyota sedan, with its lights off, when a 2016 Dodge SUV rear-ended them at approximately 7:30 p.m. The Allinas’ vehicle was in the No. 3 lane, stationary and unoccupied by any other moving cars.
The collision triggered a second crash, with a 2017 Kia sedan, driven by a 63-year-old woman, striking the SUV. The impact sent the Allinas’ sedan across multiple lanes. James was declared dead at the scene, and Rosalyn was taken to the hospital, where she passed away from her injuries.
It remains unclear why the Allinas’ vehicle was stationary on the freeway. The drivers of the Dodge and Kia were not seriously injured, though the occupants of the Dodge, a woman and child, were taken to the hospital as a precaution. The La Mesa multi-vehicle crash is under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
