Driver involved in Vista street race suffered fatal injuries

VISTA – A 20-year-old driver involved in an alcohol-fueled, head-on collision during a street race in Vista earlier this week has died, authorities said today.

Jose Zamora of Oceanside was behind the wheel of a Ford Focus that was seen racing another vehicle on East Bobier Drive at speeds of up to 100 mph shortly after 12:30 a.m. Monday. He lost control of the car near Heidi Circle and it traveled over the median and into oncoming traffic, according to the sheriff's department and the county medical examiner's office.

The Ford slammed into a Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan in the eastbound lanes and rolled, authorities said.

One of the Ford's occupants ran off after the crash, leaving Zamora and two other people trapped in the wreckage. Firefighters cut them out of the car and they were taken to a hospital, sheriff's officials said.

Zamora was pronounced dead from blunt force trauma to his head and upper body later that morning, according to the medical examiner's office.

The Mercedes' driver and passenger suffered injuries of unknown severity and were also hospitalized, according to the sheriff's department.