A young girl was killed and two other Lompoc residents were injured Wednesday in a rollover crash on Highway 1 near Lompoc, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Firefighters and other emergency personnel were dispatched shortly before 8 a.m. to the incident in the southbound lanes about a half mile north of Santa Lucia Road.
The vehicle — a GMC Envoy driven by Eunice Perez De La Cruz, 18 of Lompoc — ended up off the roadway in heavy brush, the CHP said.
Two children — girls 10 and 8 years old from Lompoc — were ejected in the crash, the CHP said.
The 10-year-old was found deceased underneath the SUV, said Mike Eliason, a Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman.
A county helicopter was sent to the scene to transport the 8-year-old to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
Perez De La Cruz was taken by AMR ambulance to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, the CHP said.
Details on their conditions were not available.
The name of the girl who died was not released pending notification of relatives.
“Due to extent of injuries to those involved, a correct count of those that were in vehicle could not be verified,” Eliason said. “Therefore, firefighters are searching methodically by ground and air around the vehicle for other possible patients.”
Shortly after 10 a.m., Eliason reported that the potential additional juvenile victim had been located, and was not involved in the crash.
The southbound lanes of Highway 1 were shut down for a time in the area of the crash, which was under investigation by the California Highway Patrol.
Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the crash, the CHP said.
— 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.
