Both westbound and eastbound lanes of State Route 76 were closed Wednesday night after a fatal crash.
The crash was reported September 11 around 7:30 p.m. near Pala Mesa, close to the intersection of Pala del Norte Road and Pala Casino. According to California Highway Patrol logs, at least one person suffered major injuries and was pronounced dead on the scene despite CPR attempts.
No further details were immediately available about what led up to the crash or if there were any additional injuries.
Pala Mesa was founded in 1955 as a 686-acre development for ranch sites ranging from 15 to 50 acres. It was advertised in association with nearby Fallbrook. Construction on the Pala Mesa Golf Course, which sits in the northwestern corner of the Pala Mesa area adjacent to the former U.S. Route 395 and the current Interstate 15, began construction in March 1961. The course opened in 1963.
That same year, construction began on Pala Mesa Village, a neighborhood of smaller homes near the I-15 and SR-76 interchange. The County Planning Commission attempted to block the construction of the neighborhood because some of the lots were smaller than 6,000 square feet, which was the minimum size for a lot per a local ordinance. The San Diego County Board of Supervisors rejected that plea, and the developers began selling homes in the community in October 1965. Its adobe brick homes were advertised as “America’s first adobe community.”
In July 1964, famed professional golfer Shirley Englehorn played at the Pala Mesa Golf Course and shot a course record four under par. The publicity helped the course become the home of the Palomar College men’s golf team in 1965.
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