Elliot Freier, Cora Perez, Naryon Esplain, and Robert Sheehan die in fatal San Diego County traffic crashes

Elliot Freier, Cora Perez, Naryon Esplain, and Robert Sheehan die in fatal San Diego County traffic crashes
Fatal San Diego County traffic crash deaths of Elliot Freier, Cora Perez, Naryon Esplain, and Robert Sheehan – Obituary

San Diego County authorities have confirmed the identities of four people who died in separate traffic-related incidents during the first three weeks of the new year.

Two of the fatalities occurred Saturday along Interstate 5 in the far northern part of the county, where a tow truck collided with a disabled sedan near the Aliso Creek Rest Area. The Medical Examiner’s Office said the victims were Elliot Freier, 64, of Los Angeles, who was driving the car, and his passenger, Cora Perez, also 64. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Roughly 13 hours earlier, another deadly incident unfolded on Interstate 8 in El Cajon. Naryon Esplain, 21, of Kaibeto, Arizona, was struck by a vehicle while walking on the freeway near Mollison Avenue for reasons that remain unclear. Authorities said a westbound 2021 Toyota Venza hit Esplain shortly before 1:30 a.m., and he died at the scene.

The fourth death stemmed from a motorcycle crash that happened on January 5 in Poway. Robert Sheehan, 63, was seriously injured in the collision at Ted Williams Parkway and Twin Peaks Road. He was transported to Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, where he later succumbed to his injuries 11 days after the crash, according to the county medical examiner.

Investigations into each of the crashes are ongoing as officials work to determine contributing factors in the fatal incidents.