Last Updated on February 1, 2022 by CCAR Staff
An Escondido man believed to have been drunk during a single-vehicle crash in Lake Elsinore that killed his car’s passenger was arrested, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said Monday, Jan. 31.
Austin McClusky, 23, was arrested on suspicion of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and two counts of DUI while causing injuries, according to the county jail log. He was the driver during a Friday, Jan. 28, crash that resulted in the death of 24-year-old Julian Munoz of Murrieta, the Sheriff’s Department said.
On Friday, deputies responded to a crash at Summerhill Drive and Corte Seriui just after 10:30 p.m. and found that a car had crashed into a light pole and overturned to the right side of Summerhill Drive, authorities said. Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire personnel extracted the two occupants and took McClusky to a hospital with minor injuries but pronounced Munoz dead at the scene, the Sheriff’s Department said.
An investigation indicated that McClusky was driving south on Summerhill at high speeds, lost control of the car and crashed into the cement light pole, authorities said.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash is encouraged to contact Deputy Holland at 951-245-3000.
