Buellton mom asks city, Caltrans to improve safety on Highway 246 after crash

A Buellton mom is asking the City and Caltrans to improve safety on the intersection of Highway 246 and Sycamore Drive.

On Monday morning, Katie Greer was hit by a pickup truck as she drove her young children to school.

“I could have lost a child,” she wrote on a community Facebook group. “It is not the other vehicles fault, it is the intersections fault (sic). I was clear both ways on the highway but he came from the other side of Sycamore trying to make a left turn onto it.”

The Ford F-150 that hit her dented the left side of her Buick Enclave. The vehicle also received scratches, while the gas lid only partially closes.

The left front wheel axle of the other driver’s Ford truck was dislocated; the car had to be towed away on Monday morning.

On Facebook, Buellton neighbors were quick to agree with Greer about safety concerns regarding the Highway 246 and Sycamore Drive intersection.

In an interview with KCOY on Wednesday, Greer broke down in tears when she recalled her children’s reaction after the accident.

“I got them out of my car and I held them, and I was just thankful that they survived.”

The mother of two said she’s been reaching out to city leaders, the California Highway Patrol, and Cal Trans.

“There’s people saying that for over 20 years they’ve been trying to get something accomplished here, trying to get a light up, or anything.”

Greer also cited concerns over nearby parks and schools, which could mean other children are in danger. She said some parents are trying to avoid that intersection altogether.

“They have to go all the way down to the other crossing, and even that is very fearful. The highway coming in from Lompoc is 65 mph and it gets reduced to 45 mph just barely at the end of our subdivision.”

Jim Shivers, a public information officer for Caltrans, said in a phone interview that the city of Buellton has a project planned for improving safety on Highway 246. Shivers said they look forward to collaborating with Buellton to make the road safer.

City officials did not immediately respond to KCOY 12’s interview request.

In August 2018, a rollover crash on the 246 left a man dead.

The California Highway Patrol said they receive general traffic complaints about speeding on that highway. However, an officer reported they don’t see many accidents there.