Two people suffered major injuries and were transported to the hospital after a head-on vehicle collision in Santa Maria on Monday.
One person was killed and another was critically injured in a head-on vehicle collision in Santa Maria on Monday. Credit: Santa Barbara County Fire Department photo

Authorities have released the name of a Santa Maria woman killed in a head-on collision Monday in the Santa Maria Valley. 

Sharlene Marie Plunkett, 79, of Santa Maria, died following the two-vehicle crash, Raquel Zick, spokeswoman for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’f Office Coroner’s Bureau, said Tuesday.

Monday’s incident was the fifth fatal crash in the Santa Maria Valley since Aug. 1, leaving six people dead.

The collision occurred just before noon Monday when a 2020 Nissan Altima, driven by Jordan Gutierrez, 26, of Santa Maria, was northbound on Highway 135, near the intersection of Foster Road, the California Highway Patrol said. 

A 2015 Honda Civic, driver by a 79-year-old Santa Maria woman, was traveling south on Highway 135, north of Foster Road, in the right turn lane. 

For an unknown reason, Gutierrez’s vehicle drifted to the left and crossed into southbound lanes, the CHP said. The Nissan traversed the two lanes and struck the Honda head on. 

Gutierrez suffered major injuries and was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center. 

Plunkett suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead after being transported to the hospital. 

CHP officers are investigating the cause of the collision.

— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.