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Suspect arrested in La Mesa crash that injured pedestrian

Posted at 6:27 AM, Jan 08, 2020
and last updated 2020-01-08 09:27:21-05

LA MESA (CNS) - A 41-year-old man was behind bars Wednesday on suspicion of driving under the influence when he struck and seriously injured a pedestrian at a La Mesa intersection, police said.

The collision happened around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Grossmont Center Drive and Center Drive, La Mesa Police Lt. Brian Stoney said.

A man was attempting to cross eastbound on Grossmont Center Drive within a marked crosswalk, but he did not have the right-of-way when he started crossing against a "do not walk" signal, Stoney said.

At the same time, a man driving a 2004 Nissan SUV was heading eastbound on Center Drive and ran a red light when he turned right onto Grossmont Center Drive and struck the pedestrian, the lieutenant said.

The victim -- believed to be in his 50s -- was taken to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries, including a fractured lower right leg and a fractured hip, Stoney said, adding that the man did not have identification on him and officers were unable to identify him Tuesday night.

Investigators arrested the SUV driver, 41-year-old Brandon Michael West of Poway, on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs causing serious bodily injury.

West is on probation for a previous DUI and has prior drug and alcohol- related arrests, Stoney said.

He was booked into San Diego Central Jail and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday afternoon.