One person was killed and another was critically injured Friday in a suspected DUI collision on Highway 154 at the San Marcos Pass summit, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
The head-on crash, involving an eastbound Toyota pickup truck and a westbound Hyundai Sonata, occurred at about 10:40 a.m. near West Camino Cielo, according to the California Highway Patrol Officer Shannan Sams.
The Toyota crossed the double yellow lines and slammed into the Sonata before overturning and coming to rest on its roof.
The driver of the Sonata, a 31-year-old Arroyo Grande man, was declared dead at the scene, County Fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli said.
His name was not released pending notification of relatives.
The Tacoma driver, who had to be extricated from the wreckage, suffered major injuries, and was transported by AMR ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, Bertucelli said.
He was identified as Oscar Pereyra, 61, of Santa Barbara, according to Sams, and was arrested on suspicion of felony DUI.
Details on his condition were not available.
Crews from the county Fire Department and Los Padres National Forest responded to the incident, along with the CHP.
Highway 154 was shut down in both directions for about five hours from Cathedral Oaks Road to Paradise Road.
There were wet and foggy conditions in the area at the time of the collision, which occurred less than an hour after another crash seriously injured a motorcyclist a couple miles away.
The collision remained under investigation by the CHP.
Anyone with information about the events leading up to the collision is asked to contact Sams 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.
