A Lompoc woman was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving Thursday after three people were injured in a multi-vehicle accident near the Chumash Casino Resort in the Santa Ynez Valley, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Emergency personnel responded about 2:10 p.m. to report of a collision near the intersection of Casino Drive and Highway 246, said Capt. David Sadecki of the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.
Three vehicles were involved in the accident on Highway 246, east of Cuesta Street, the CHP said.
The wreck occurred when an eastbound Jeep Wrangler driven by Rebecca Sandoval, 37, of Lompoc slammed into the rear of a Toyota Highlander driven by a 68-year-old Buellton woman, whose name was not released.
The Highlander was slowing for a red light ahead, the CHP said, and a Chevy Equinox in front already had stopped.
Sandoval was traveling at an unsafe speed, the CHP said, and the force of the impact drove the Highlander into the rear of the Equinox, which was driven by Simone Mikusova, 28, of the Slovak Republic, the CHP said.
The driver of the Highlander suffered major injuries, and required CPR, Sadecki said. She was revived at the scene before being transported via a CalStar helicopter to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, the CHP said.
Mikusova and her passenger, Michal Miklas, 54, also of the Slovak Republic, suffered minor injuries, and were transported by AMR ambulance to Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital, where they were treated and released, the CHP said.
Sandoval, who was uninjured, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of DUI, the CHP said.
Sadecki said Highway 246 was closed for some time in both directions, since the helicopter landed on the roadway to pick up the victim.
— Noozhawk staff writer Gina Potthoff can be reached at gpotthoff@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.