An Oxnard man was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with a series of hit-and-run collisions on Highway 101 earlier this week that damaged nine vehicles and sent three people to the hospital.
Bryan Martinez, 33, was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail following the incident, which began at about 8 a.m. Monday near Santa Monica Road, according to Officer Shannan Sams of the California Highway Patrol.
Martinez allegedly was behind the wheel of a white pickup truck that was northbound on the freeway when it collided with nine vehicles between Carpinteria and Montecito.
CHP investigators believe the collisions were deliberate, although they have not offered a possible motive.
Witnesses and law enforcement tracked the pickup, which was located on the right-hand shoulder near Olive Mill Road in Montecito.
Some construction workers on Jameson Lane reportedly detained Martinez after he fled his vehicle on foot.
Three people injured in the crashes were taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with minor injuries, Sams said.
The investigation was continuing, Sams told Noozhawk, adding that additional charges against Martinez are likely.
As of Wednesday, Martinez was not in custody.
— 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.