Man arrested for death of woman in Santa Barbara DUI accident, investigation ongoing

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – A man was arrested after he reportedly hit and killed a woman while driving under the influence on Painted Cave Road in Santa Barbara on Saturday, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

Officers arrived at the area of Painted Cave Road north of Highway 154 around 10 p.m. on Saturday to find a 37-year-old man awake near a vehicle and a 45-year-old woman unconscious in the roadway, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Raquel Zick.

The woman, later identified as Nicole Lawson, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man was arrested for driving under the influence, but experienced a medical emergency during the arrest and was transported to a local hospital where he was booked in absentia, Zick said.

The Sheriff's Office continued to investigate the incident, sending the Major Accident Response Team and forensic technicians to the scene later.

The Coroner's Bureau conducted a death investigation that included an autopsy on Wednesday.

"This multi-faceted investigation remains ongoing and Lawson’s final cause and manner of death are pending toxicology," Zick said.

The man remains in custody at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail and is being held without bail for the charges of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, CUI causing injury, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and as a remand for previous pending charges.