Driver Ejected in Nipomo Car Crash Escapes Serious Injury

A driver ejected out of a vehicle during a car crash near Nipomo High School Wednesday morning appears to have escaped with only moderate injuries.

According to the California Highway Patrol, at 7:16 a.m., the driver of a blue Chevrolet Suburban was traveling northbound on Thompson Avenue, just south of Willow Road, when it collided with a white Ford Fusion, which was turning left while traveling southbound.

“It turned into the path of the Suburban,” said Sgt. Eric Martinez, California Highway Patrol. “They collided. The Suburban rolled over and the driver of that vehicle was ejected. Both occupants of the Suburban were transported to Marian (Regional Medical Center) with minor-to-moderate injuries.”

Martinez could not say if the driver of the Suburban was wearing a seat belt, noting it’s still to be determined.

“If they are ejected, that’s my presumption, is that they were not wearing a seat belt,” said Martinez. “But beyond that, it’s still under investigation.”

The number of occupants in the Fusion, besides the driver, is unknown. The identities of both drivers is also unknown.

The collision closed down Thompson Avenue for more than an hour while authorities investigated the crash scene. The closure snarled traffic on the busy roadway for those driving to nearby Nipomo and New Tech High Schools, which are about a mile south of the crash scene.

The crash came during an extremely foggy morning in the Nipomo area, but Martinez was unsure if that played a factor in the collision.

“It could have,” said Martinez. “That’s still under investigation. I don’t know how foggy it was at the time of the collision. With fog, it goes in and out depending on how thick it gets at certain times.”

Martinez added he does not feel either drugs or alcohol played a factor in the crash.

More information will be released by the California Highway Patrol later in the day.