Two people were killed and another was seriously injured Friday afternoon in head-on collision on Highway 101 near Santa Maria that involved a wrong-way driver, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Southbound Highway 101 was shut down for nearly three hours just north of Santa Maria as a result of the crash, which occurred at about 12:50 p.m. on the Santa Maria River Bridge, the CHP said.
A white Ford Fiesta and a Chevy Silverado pickup with a camper collided head-on, the CHP said.
At least one of the vehicles burst into flames, said Battalion Chief Mike Barneich of the Santa Maria Fire Department.
The Silverado entered the freeway headed the wrong way at the Broadway southbound exit, the CHP said.
One victim was trapped in the wreckage and had to be extricated, Barneich said.
The male driver of the pickup was declared dead at the scene, the CHP said. His name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.
The male driver of the Fiesta and his female passenger suffered major injuries, and were transported to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria.
The male subsequently died of his injuries, the CHP said.
Their names and details on the passenger’s injuries and condition were not available.
Southbound traffic was taken off Highway 101 at Highway 166, then detoured east to Bull Canyon Road and west on Donovan Road back to the freeway, the CHP said.
The CHP had reopened all the freeway lanes by 3:30 p.m.
The accident was under investigation by the CHP.
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
