47-year-old killed after rollover crash in Mecca

A 47-year-old man was killed in a rollover crash over the weekend in Mecca.

The California Highway Patrol said it's unknown what time the crash happened at. The vehicle was found Sunday just after noon on Grapefruit Boulevard, south of Johnson Street.

CHP - Indio spokesperson Officer David Torres told News Channel 3 that a 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe was traveling northbound on SR-111 south of Johnson Street. 

For reasons still under investigation, the driver allowed the Hyundai to drift to the right from an from an otherwise straight path of travel.  The Hyundai left the paved portion of the road and descended down a dirt embankment adjacent to the shoulder. 

Torres said the Hyundai continued into the open desert terrain with natural vegetation and then began to overturn.  Due to the rollover sequence, the driver, who was wearing a seat belt, sustained multiple traumatic injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene by medics.

The driver was identified by the coroner's office as Joe Nava of Brawley.