Update: Highway 101 is now open in both directions, according to Caltrans
Staff Report
A 31-year-old Solvang man died in the early hours of Aug. 25, in a vehicle accident on Highway 101, according to the California Highway Patrol. He was identified as 31-year-old Cameron Martinez, of Solvang.
The collision occurred at 2:10 a.m. near Signal Hill Oil when the Solvang man, driving a 2016 Hyundai Sonata at an undetermined rate of speed, collided into another vehicle in the #2 lane of northbound Highway 101.
The Solvang man was the sole occupant, and swerved onto the right shoulder and came to rest between the #1 and #2 lanes. The other driver involved did not stop and continued northbound, according to CHP incident report.
CHP, Santa Barbara County Fire and American Medical Response responded to the collision and found the Solvang man who was pronounced deceased at the scene. The accident is still under investigation by the CHP, and whether drugs or alcohol were a factor.
At 2:18 a.m. there was another fatal accident on Highway 101 southbound near Dos Pueblos Canyon Road, when a Volkswagen going northbound traversed over the dirt center divider into the southbound lanes of 101 and collided with a Ford Expedition. The Volkswagen only had one occupant, and the Ford had two occupants. The three were pronounced deceased at the scene.
The Coroner’s Bureau identified the dead as Daniel Garcia, 25, and Eryka Lopez, 23, both of Santa Maria, and 28-year-old Natalia Stallworth of Santa Barbara.
Caltrans just opened Highway 101 southbound around 11 a.m., Shivers said.
Highway 154 is also shut down until at least noon, due to rollover vehicle crash. A utility truck and a sedan were involved in the collision, said Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.
One person has critical injuries and had to be extricated. Two other people were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, Bertucelli added. The cause of the collision is under investigation.
The highway closures have impacted traffic in the Santa Ynez Valley and people should stay off the road and postpone their trips southbound until later this afternoon, Jim Shivers of Caltrans said.
State Route 166, State Route 33 and Interstate 5 are alternate routes to consider, Shivers said.
CHP Traffic Incident Information Page: http://cad.chp.ca.gov
