A man was killed after losing control of his vehicle and crashing down an embankment on Interstate 8 late Wednesday night in the city of Alpine.

According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash took place at around 10:15 p.m. in the westbound lanes of the highway, just east of East Willows Road, where a Volkswagen GTI travelling in the fast lane at a high rate of speed suddenly lost control and swerved off the right shoulder onto a dirt embankment separating the two directions of traffic, coming to a stop back on its wheels in the eastbound lanes after rolling multiple times.

Witnesses to the accident said that the car initially swerved to the left, into the interstate’s center median before coming back across lanes and rolling onto the embankment.

Paramedics were called to the scene to attempt to revive the man, but were unsuccessful. The man, 38 year old Trevor Lee Bell of Pine Valley, suffered severe head trauma in the accident and was pronounced dead on site. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Following the crash, police closed down lanes in both directions to allow for cleanup and to determine what may have caused the vehicle to lose control. Though speed is believed to be a factor, there is no word on the influence of another vehicle, perhaps in a race, or of drugs or alcohol that may have impaired the man. An investigation has been launched by the CHP to uncover the principle cause.

On the highway, it is important to keep your vehicle at a reasonable speed, especially at night. When traffic is lighter, there is a temptation to increase your speed and decrease your attention, as there are fewer vehicles on the road around you to cause an accident. However, with this increase in speed comes an increase in accident potential, even without the involvement of another vehicle.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a highway accident such as this, you should seek help, as there are legal protections in place to get victims what they need to recover. With the help of a skilled Los Angeles car accident attorney, compensation can be received from those at fault to help pay for things like hospital visits, car repair payments, or surgeries, as well as replace wages from time spent away from work.

At AA Accident Attorneys, we can guide you through the complicated legal system and get you any additional medical or financial assistance you may need in the meantime. As always, we will not charge you anything for our legal services unless your case is won. For more information, call us today for a free evaluation and to learn what our team of experienced legal professionals can do for you!