Shortly before 11:30 a.m. Thursday, California Highway Patrol, Santa Barbara County fire and AMR personnel responded to a call of a vehicle vs. an MTD bus at the intersection of Hollister Avenue and Turnpike Road.
The MTD bus, driven by Vicente Carrera, 58, of Oxnard, was westbound on Hollister Avenue, west of Turnpike Road in the slow lane, at the Vons shopping center. A gray Pontiac Sunbird, driven by Robert Long, 91, of Santa Barbara, also was westbound on Hollister, in the fast lane, at the Vons shopping center, directly parallel to the MTD bus’ front end.
Long attempted a right turn into the shopping center from the fast lane, clipping the left front of the bus with the right side of his vehicle. The impact caused minor injuries to one passenger on the bus, who was transported to Cottage Hospital.
Alcohol was not a factor in this collision. Long was issued a DMV re-examination for his driver’s license at the scene.
Daniel Barba is a public affairs officer for the California Highway Patrol.