Popular local doctor Jeffrey Marxen had no drugs or alcohol in his system when he died in a Feb. 23 motorcycle crash shortly after playing softball, according to authorities.
A 5,000-word investigative report signed by Chief Medical Examiner Glenn Wagner concluded that the Black Mountain Road accident was a “nonsurvivable motorcycle mishap.”
But the report, made public Tuesday, added details to what is known of the tragedy involving the well-known orthopedic surgeon at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.
“There had been no witnesses to the accident and there did not appear to be any other vehicles involved in the incident,” the report said.
Marxen’s yellow Honda Goldwing motorcycle was found lying on its side about “300 yards north of the decedent along the curbline,” said the report, noting an “extensive debris field extending from the northeast corner of Babatua Road and Black Mountain Road up to where the motorcycle came to rest.”
An off-duty campus police officer and a nurse had stopped to render aid shortly after the accident, said the report obtained via a Patch request.
“From tire marks and scuff marks noted in the roadway and sidewalk, it appeared that, for unknown reasons, the decedent failed to negotiate a gentle curve in the roadway, mounted the northeast curbline at the intersection of Babatua Road and Black Mountain Road, and was ejected from his motorcycle,” said the report (attached).
Marxen, married and living in Carmel Valley, apparently struck a large blue cylindrical metal cover for a water main pipe with his chest.
He was found slumped over the metal cover that he had apparently torn from its mooring in the ground, the report said.
Annette Marxen told investigators that her husband had a history of diabetes and hypertension, and that he took multiple medications, the report said.
Marxen, who would have turned 61 in early April, reportedly had just played one of the best games of his life at Hourglass Park near Miramar College. He was still wearing his blue softball jersey and red, white and blue windbreaker when he crashed.
He even had on his black baseball cleat shoes at the time of death, the report said.
Marxen was identified at the scene via his Alvarado Hospital Staff ID card found in his belongings, said a report by Medical Examiner Investigator James Buckley.
“His wallet and other identification items were not able to be located within his belongings, in his motorcycle compartments, or at the scene at the time of my investigation,” Buckley wrote.
His full-face helmet protected his head, but the report said: “He was noted to have significant blunt force chest trauma with obvious chest wall deformity along the left chest, and multiple rib fractures were palpated. … He was noted to have obvious fractures to both lower extremities, with an open fracture and partial amputation of his left foot at the ankle.”
The San Diego police Officer who arrived on the scene added other details, including the observation that “the weather at the time of the accident was reported to be clear with no inclement weather or adverse road conditions noted.”
Even so, Officer D. Russell said: “At the time of my scene investigation, heavy patchy fog had moved into the area.”
His autopsy was performed the next day, Feb. 24, and a toxicology report was later signed by Iain M. McIntyre and Phyllis Mallett.
“Toxicology studies are negative for volatiles including ethanol, drugs of abuse, base, neutral and acid drug assays,” Wagner said in the report.
“Based on these findings and the history and circumstances of the death as currently known, the cause of death is best listed as multisystem blunt force injuries due to a motorcycle mishap and the manner of death as accident,” Wagner concluded.
