19-year-old foreign exchange student killed in Goleta crash

A 19-year-old foreign exchange student living in Santa Barbara was killed early Friday morning in a crash involving two vehicles at the intersection of Hollister Avenue and Storke Road in Goleta.

The crash occurred at about 1:20 a.m. between a blue Hyundai Tucson being driven by a 33-year-old Ventura resident working as an Uber driver, and a white Toyota Camry driven by a 24-year-old Riverside woman.

Authorities are working to determine which vehicle ran a red light but say the woman killed in the crash was a passenger in the Hyundai and was not wearing her seatbelt at the time. She was ejected from the car, according to investigators. She was taken to the hospital where she later died from life-threatening injuries.

Her name is being withheld until her family is notified.

An 18-year-old was also a passenger in the Hyundai at the time of the crash and received medical treatment at the scene for minor injuries. Authorities said he too was not wearing his seatbelt.

“This collision is a sad reminder of the importance of wearing seatbelts. In this case, it would have been life-saving,” said Senior Deputy Jeff Farmer, who is the lead investigator in this case.

Investigators say the Toyota was carrying two passengers, a 16-year-old teenage girl from Riverside and a 19-year-old man from Los Angeles. The driver and one passenger in the Toyota suffered minor injuries while the other passenger was uninjured.

Authorities don’t believe alcohol or drugs played a factor in the collision. Both drivers are cooperating with investigators.

Anyone with information regarding this deadly crash is asked to call Senior Deputy Farmer at 805-961-7514.