At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 28, a 52-year-old Grover Beach man who was attending to his vehicle parked on the sand of the Oceano Dunes was struck and killed by an oncoming vehicle.
According to Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area District Superintendant Brent Marshall, the man was pinned between the two vehicles and succumbed to his injuries shortly after authorities arrived on the scene.
“It just a really unfortunate incident, but there were a lot of vehicles moving around as daylight was fading,” Marshall told the Sun. “We are increasing patrols and will have 24-hour coverage on the dunes over the New Year’s holiday—we’re trying to prevent anything like this from happening again.”
Marshall added that there’s no indication thus far that alcohol or excessive speed were involved in the incident, and he said that both California State Parks and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s-Coroner Office are involved in the ongoing investigation.
The man’s identity was still being withheld as of press time, and Marshall said it was too soon to say whether an autopsy will be conducted or whether law enforcement will pursue any criminal charges.
This article appears in Jan 1-8, 2015.