Escondido residents demand action following teen’s death in suspected DUI crash

ESCONDIDO, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) — Concerns are mounting in Escondido after a teenager was killed in a suspected DUI crash over the weekend, highlighting long-standing safety issues with a local road.

Residents have long complained about the road, noting that several others have been hurt or killed in separate crashes over the years.

FOX 5 met Ana Lopez Monday night at the candlelight vigil honoring the life of her 13-year-old brother, Junior Tapia. It’s the most recent to accompany others along the intersection of N Broadway and West Country Club.

RELATED: 13-year-old boy killed in suspected DUI crash

“They say God always takes the best ones, and he really did,” Lopez said.

Junior and his sister were passengers in a car driven by the sister’s boyfriend, who was allegedly driving under the influence before crashing with another vehicle late Saturday night.

Just a few yards away laid another vigil and across the street, yet another one; both commemorating a two-vehicle accident in December 2020 that killed both drivers.

Mike, a resident living north of the intersection in unincorporated Escondido, has seen several accidents near his home. Despite efforts by the County of San Diego to improve safety, including hazard barrels, Mike believes more needs to be done, such as installing guardrails.

“I’ve asked them for guardrails up there, they won’t do that,” Mike said.

Over the past decade, he has collected several police reports of collisions near his property but has yet to see significant change at the county and city level.

Rich and Teresa Spanelli, who have lived along North Broadway at Sundance Mobile Homes for 22 years, shared similar concerns, noting the high number of accidents they have witnessed and also calling for assistance.

In response to the community’s concerns, the City of Escondido stated that city staff are evaluating the crash to make recommendations for improving traffic safety. They also stated that while the intersection is not considered a hotspot, they will closely examine what improvements may be necessary in the area.

The community remains hopeful that their voices will be heard and that action will be taken to prevent further tragedies on this stretch of road.

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