A 19-year-old man has been named as the person killed the morning of Christmas Eve in a head-on crash that also critically injured a second driver on Highway 1 between Vandenberg Village and Lompoc.
Asher Linden Tenud, originally from Portland, Oregon but recently a resident of Santa Maria, died in the crash, according to Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau.
Shortly after 10 a.m. Tuesday, Tenud’s green 1998 Jaguar XJR, traveling south on Highway 1 south of Constellation Road, entered a right-hand curve in the roadway when he lost control of the car, authorities said.
Tenud’s vehicle traveled through the dirt median and slammed head-on into a gray 2007 Honda Odyssey traveling northbound on Highway 1, the California Highway Patrol said.
The impact pushed both vehicles to the right shoulder, with the Jaguar overturned onto its roof.
A CHP officer who was patrolling within the area arrived at the scene moments after the crash to discover Tenud was killed in the crash.
The Honda driver, whose name, age and hometown weren’t released, suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported by American Medical Response personnel to Lompoc Valley Medical Center.
“A terrible tragedy for the drivers and their families during what should be a joyous season,” said Lt. Jason Bronson, commander of the CHP’s Buellton area office. “During your holiday travels we ask everyone to slow down and drive cautiously, especially in rain and inclement weather.”
The impact of the crash left both vehicles badly crumpled and unrecognizable as they sat on a flatbed tow truck.
Highway 1 was shut down in the area of the crash for a time Tuesday.
This investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information about this incident should call the Buellton Area CHP office at 805.691.6160.
A GoFundMe page, “Asher Tenud Funeral Expenses,” to help his family had raised more than $17,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
“Asher was full of life and lived it on his own terms,” the GoFundMe page said. “He loved adventure and travel. An epic trip to Machu Picchu in junior high further fostered his wanderlust and a sense of kinship with the natural world.”
He spent the past two years traveling through Oregon and California before settling in Santa Maria.
“He saw inequality in the world and selflessly sought to improve it through work with unhoused individuals and homeless animals. He truly loved all animals and found opportunities to spend time with them,” the fundraising page said.
As a youngster, he painted portraits of people’s pets conveying both the animals’ appearance and personality.
“Asher was a keen observer with a sharp wit—a trait that could be both hysterical and infuriating simultaneously for those around him. His friends also knew well the depths of his generosity, as well as his sense of fun. He leaves a vast space behind that will be impossible to fill.”
Survivors including his mother Danielle Rhodes, father Ashley Tenud and two brothers, Brook and Bowie, all of Portland, Oregon.