Authorities have released the name of a pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle and killed on Highway 101 earlier this month along the Gaviota Coast.
The victim was Kelly Chadic, 50, of Lompoc, according to Lt. Erik Raney of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
The collision occurred shortly before 8 p.m. on Nov. 6 as Chadic was standing in the right-hand lane of northbound Highway 101 near El Capitan Ranch, according to Officer Shannan Sams of the California Highway Patrol.
The driver of a 2007 Toyota RAV4 — Jerry D. Hartmann, 60, of Solvang — swerved to avoid Chadic, Sams said, but the right corner of the vehicle struck him, knocking him to the ground.
“The pedestrian was lying within the (right-hand) lane when an unknown second vehicle struck the pedestrian and caused him to be thrown to the right shoulder,” Sams said.
Chadic was declared dead at the scene.
He had been arrested the previous day on suspicion of public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance, Raney said, and was released from Santa Barbara County Jail at about 3 a.m. on Nov. 6 after being in custody for about 14 hours.
Chadic reportedly was walking home to Lompoc at the time he was killed, but that could not be confirmed.
The CHP is still looking for the second vehicle involved, which Sams said may have been a two-axle box truck.
Hartmann, who remained at the scene until authorities arrived, was determined not to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Sams said, adding that the collision remained under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is asked to contact Officer Victor Sanchez of the Santa Barbara CHP Office at 805.967.1234.
— 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.