California Highway Patrol releases further details on Monday’s fatal semi-truck accident in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – The California Highway Patrol revealed more details about what caused a semi-truck car accident that left one dead and three injured in Santa Maria early Monday morning.

A 2006 Peterbilt semi-truck pulling a trailer was driving westbound on Betteravia Road in Santa Maria at around 6:30 a.m. on Monday, and a Honda Civic was traveling southbound on Philbric and stopped at a posted stop sign, according to the CHP.

The Honda Civic began to make a left turn onto eastbound Betteravia Road directly in front of the semi-truck, the CHP said. The truck crashed into the left side of the Honda Civic as the Civic continued in a southwest direction and came to a rest just south of Betteravia Road.

The semi-truck also continued in a southwestern direction, but drove off the roadway, into a power pole, and into a fence, causing the trailer to overturn, according to the CHP.

The power pole broke upon impact as wires snapped into the road. The street was closed from the time of the accident at 6:30 a.m. until Monday afternoon when PG&E reopened it, the CHP said.

Both drivers and one passenger in the Honda Civic were transported to Marian Regional Medical Center, and the passenger in the left-back seat of the Honda Civic sustained fatal injuries from the crash, the CHP said.

The name and age of the victim were still pending confirmation from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.