SAN DIEGO — A group of men ran off after a driver flipped his car near Mission Bay late Friday, leaving behind a passenger with life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The crash happened around 9 p.m. as the 2005 Toyota Corolla sped along Quivira Way, a minor road on the south side of the bay near Mission Bay Drive and SeaWorld Drive, San Diego Police Department said in a news release. The driver apparently couldn’t make a bend in the road, crashing into a patch of grass and dirt near some palm trees.

The vehicle rolled and came to a stop on its roof. Three men — including the driver — scrambled out of the car and ran off, police said. That left a fourth man, one of the Corolla’s passengers, at the scene of the crash badly hurt.

When paramedics arrived, the man was rushed to the hospital with several broken bones in his face and “numerous other injuries,” which were considered life-threatening.

The San Diego Police Traffic Division is leading the investigation. Video from OnScene TV showed officers walking the scene with flashlights late Friday, looking for any further evidence that might lead them to the group or indicate what exactly led up to the crash. The white car remained on its roof off the side of the road.

Police didn’t immediately say whether they suspect the man behind of the wheel of DUI.

Police urged anyone with information about the crash to call SDPD on the non-emergency line. Tipsters can also report information anonymously to San Diego County Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.