GLENDORA — A man died Friday after his disabled pickup truck was struck by a car on the 210 Freeway in Glendora, officials said.
Kevin Payne, 50, died at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center just over half an hour after the 6:53 p.m. crash on the westbound 210 Freeway, just west of the 57 Freeway, coroner’s and California Highway Patrol officials said. His driver’s license listed him as a Los Angeles resident, though his vehicle registration information indicated he was from Hawthorne.
He was standing along the side of the road near his Mercedes sedan while having his disabled Toyota pickup truck hooked up to a tow truck just prior to the crash, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
Toby Okleshen, 36, of Las Vegas was driving a 2009 Dodge van westbound on the freeway.
“Okleshen swerved to the right and struck the rear of the Mercedes,” the statement said. “The Mercedes travelled westbound and struck (Payne) and threw him into the bed of the red Toyota truck.”
Payne was flown by helicopter to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
The unoccupied Mercedes went off the road and burst into flames, but firefighters quickly extinguished the burning car and nearby brush that had ignited, Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Brown said.
Witnesses reported seeing Okleshen’s van swerving and driving erratically just before the crash, CHP officials said.
“We ruled out driving under the influence,” CHP officer Resa Rombouts said.
“(Okleshen) is diabetic and his blood sugar was very low,” she said. “Extremely low blood sugar led to hypoglycemia.”
According to a statement from the National Institute of Health, “Hypoglycemia can happen suddenly. It is usually mild and can be treated quickly and easily by eating or drinking a small amount of glucose-rich food. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can get worse and cause confusion, clumsiness, or fainting.”
Okleshen suffered minor injuries in the crash but declined to be hospitalized, officials said.
The investigation was ongoing, and investigators continued interviewing witnesses Saturday.