Friday night ends tragically for two individuals.
Two separate traffic accidents Friday evening and Saturday morning resulted in the death of two men, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The first accident occurred between 10:40 and 11:00 a.m. Friday when 63 year-old Francisco Diaz was driving a Chevy Astro van owned by Los Angeles County westbound on Lake Hughes road, east of Ridge Route Rd. near Castaic.
Diaz’ county van reportedly went off a steep cliff for an unknown reason. The van rolled down a steep slope and came to rest in a ravine, approximately 95 feet below the roadway.
At approximately 6:30 p.m., two hikers observed the van lying on its roof in the ravine and flagged down a passerby, who called 911. Los Angeles County Fire responded to the scene and found Diaz partially ejected from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Alcohol is not believed to have been a factor. The cause of the incident is under investigation.
The second accident happened just before 4:00 a.m. Saturday, and occurred on Bouquet Canyon Rd. north of Shadow Valley Rd. A 2003 Ford driven by 21 year-old Saugus resident Robert Doyle southbound on Bouquet reportedly drifted into the opposite lane after Doyle fell asleep at the wheel.
His car struck a car traveling northbound which was driven by 55 year-old Douglas Rawson, also of Saugus, who suffered fatal injuries.