OCEANSIDE -- A 27-year-old man was killed early Tuesday when he ran a red light and slammed his speeding motorcycle into an SUV at an Oceanside intersection, police said.
Joshua Ryan Gatter died shortly after his 2005 Suzuki motorcycle collided with a 2011 Jeep Patriot at the intersection of Mission Avenue and North Coast Highway around 2:30 a.m., Oceanside police Sgt. Ignacio Lopez said.
Police officers patrolling in the area heard Gatter's motorcycle as it headed toward the intersection. They could tell the motorcycle was traveling at a high rate of speed by the sound of its engine, Lopez said.
The motorcyclist failed to stop for the changing signal and struck the front of the Jeep as it began entering the intersection on a green light to make a left turn. Gatter was ejected from the bike and died at the scene, according to the sergeant.
"Based on the preliminary investigation it is unknown if alcohol was a factor in the collision; however, it appears that speed may have been," Lopez said in a statement.
The Jeep's driver was not injured in the crash and stayed at the scene afterward, Lopez said. She was interviewed and has since been released, he said.
