Wrong-way driver determined to be the cause of fatal traffic collision in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA, Calif. -- A traffic collision that left a Santa Maria woman dead was deemed to be the fault of unsafe turn, according to police.

Officers were dispatched to the two-vehicle collision in the area of Beth Court and Alvin around 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

Traffic Sgt. Michael McGehee says the driver who died had made an unsafe turning movement, was driving the wrong way, and crashed head-on into a truck.

The woman who was driving the wrong way had to be transported to the hospital and later airlifted to a Santa Barbara hospital with a major head injury, McGehee said.

She died from her injuries.

The driver of the truck was left uninjured, and there were no other cars involved, McGehee said.

The crash is being investigated by the Santa Maria Police Department Traffic Bureau, and anyone with information is encouraged to call the bureau at 805-928-3781 ext. 2277.