Marine Killed as DUI Suspect Slams Into Van
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SAN DIEGO — One U.S. Marine died Monday and several others were treated for serious injuries after their crowded van was rammed by a suspected drunk driver in a stolen pickup being chased by the California Highway Patrol.
The Marines, from Camp Pendleton, were headed for a few days’ leave when the truck ran into the back of the van they were riding in late Sunday night near the downtown train depot, authorities said.
Pvt. 1st Class Ryan O. Cooty, 18, suffered abdominal injuries and died Monday at 2:45 p.m., said Camp Pendleton spokesman Sgt. Timothy Edwards. Cooty was from Sandy, Utah, and had joined the Marines in October. He would have turned 19 next week and had been at Camp Pendleton about a month.
The van, operated by a shuttle service, was designed to carry a maximum of six passengers and a driver, but 11 Marines were inside, including some in the rear luggage area, said San Diego Police Det. Dan Wall.
The driver of the stolen pickup, 19-year-old Leonard Sambrano of Chula Vista, was under guard at a local hospital.
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