Highway 166 reopens east of Santa Maria after crash injures 3
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Caltrans District 5 announced the closure of Highway 166 east of Santa Maria Friday morning after two vehicles were involved in a major crash.
The crash happened around 9 a.m. on the 166 at Tepusquet Road.
California Highway Patrol reported the two cars were involved in a head-on collision. They said a 22-year-old man from Palmdale was driving a GMC westbound on Hwy 166 just east of Alamo Creek Road at about 60 miles per hour. At the same time, a 46-year-old Las Vegas woman was driving a 2004 Porsche with a 14-year-old boy inside eastbound on the 166 at unknown speeds.
For reasons that are still unclear, CHP said the driver of the GMC turned the vehicle left into the eastbound lanes directly in front of the Porsche. The two collided head-on, causing major vehicle damage, and came to a rest in the roadway.
Firefighters said the driver of the GMC was able to exit the vehicle on his own, however, the two people inside the Porsche were trapped and required extrication.
County Fire said both occupants of the Porsche were seriously injured and the GMC driver had moderate injuries.
The 14-year-old boy from the Porsche was airlifted to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital for emergency treatment while the other two individuals were transported by ground ambulance to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria.
Both lanes of Hwy 166 were blocked at Tepusquet about 15 miles east of Highway 101. The highway was reopened around 10:57 a.m.
Drivers in the area were advised to take Highway 58 or Highway 46 as an alternate route from the coast to the valley.
SigAlert: #Hwy166 each way east of #SantaMaria is CLOSED by a 2-car crash so use caution & take #Hwy58 or #Hwy46 as other route from coast to valley. @ChpSlo @CHP_SantaBarb @CaltransDist6 @PIOJimShivers
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) July 2, 2021
The cause of the crash is under investigation by CHP. Officers said drugs and alcohol do not appear to be involved.
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
