A woman who was severely injured early Monday in a rollover crash in Orcutt that claimed the life of another woman remained on life support two days later at a Santa Barbara hospital, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Tricia Jensen, 37, of Santa Maria was in critical condition after the suspected DUI accident, and remained on life support,California Highway Patrol Officer Dave Medina told Noozhawk Wednesday afternoon.
She suffered major head trauma, and was flown by Calstar medical helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital after the crash, which occurred at 1:40 a.m. Monday.
Another passenger, Leann Stauffer, 37, of Santa Maria, was declared dead at the scene, the CHP said.
The accident involving a 2016 Lexus occurred on northbound Highway 135 near Lakeview Road.
The driver of the vehicle, Cameron Oliver, 25, of Santa Maria, sustained minor injuries, and was taken by AMR ambulance to Marian Regional Medical Center, the CHP said.
Oliver, who was believed to be under the influence of alcohol, was arrested, according to the CHP.
He posted $100,000 bail and was released from custody Tuesday morning.
A bail hearing in Santa Barbara County Superior Court is scheduled for March 8.
As of Wednesday, representatives of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office had not decided what charges to file against Oliver.
Delays in filing decisions can occur while authorities complete their investigations of crashes.
A fourth person in the vehicle, Brian Freeborn, 38, of Santa Maria, sustained minor injuries but declined medical treatment.
GoFundMe pages have been set up to help the families of Stauffer and Jensen, both of whom are mothers.
The GoFundMe page for Stauffer’s family raised $6,200 toward the $15,000 goal as of mid-day Wednesday.
The page noted the loss of Stauffer “a wonderful mother, daughter, sister, and friend from this earth.
“Leann Stauffer has influenced so many of our lives. She had the best laugh, was fearless, and she was positive regardless of what was going down in her life She impressed us with her strength, the love she has for her two daughters, and that totally gorgeous smile!”
On her Facebook page, Stauffer listed that she was in a relationship with Oliver.
Stauffer is survived by two daughters.
Ricky’s House of Pizza in Orcutt will hold a fundraiser on Feb. 15, when a portion of the evening’s sales will be donated to Stauffer’s family.
One of Stauffer’s daughters works for the eatery, which also has a special tip jar to collect donations.
Funeral arrangements for Stauffer are under the care of Dudley-Hoffman Mortuary in Santa Maria.
On the GoFundMe page for Jensen, she was described as “our favorite Mom, Coach and Friend.”
“Tricia has always been a beautiful free spirit, always willing to help anyone in their time of need. It is now our time to help and pray for our beautiful friend,” the page said.
As of Wednesday, the page has raised more than $10,500 toward the $20,000 goals.
She has three children, Lucy, Logan and Lindy Jensen.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
