One person was killed Friday in a fiery vehicle accident on Highway 101 in Santa Maria.
The collision occurred shortly after 11:30 a.m. on southbound Highway 101 near Main Street after reports the vehicle had been driving erratically and may have been involved other crashes, according to the California Highway Patrol.
After a collision on the freeway, a white pickup truck continued southbound, striking the center divider several times before leaving Highway 101 and running off the roadway at the Main Street offramp, according to CHP dispatch.
The Chevy pickup came to rest against a fence and became engulfed in flames with the driver trapped inside, the CHP reported.
A CHP officer who was nearby at the time of the crash attempted to extricate the driver from the wreckage, but the flames forced the officer to retreat.
Numerous fire extinguishers were used to quell the flames, but the fire became too intense, the CHP said.
The male driver, whose name, age and hometown were not released, died due to his injuries, the CHP said.
The offramp was shut down after the crash. A segment of North Bradley Road, which runs parallel to Highway 101 in that area, also was shut down for time.
CHP investigators will try to determine whether drugs, alcohol or a medical condition contributed to the crash.
Check back with Noozhawk for updates to this story.
Noozhawk North County Editor Janene Scully reported from the scene.
— 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.
