Driver arrested for DUI after car goes 600 feet off side of road near Lompoc
LOMPOC, Calif. - One person was arrested Thursday after the vehicle they were in went about 600 feet over the side of a roadway near Lompoc.
It happened just after 1 p.m. on the 3600 block of Harris Grade Road north of Rucker Road.
A 37-year-old Lompoc man was allegedly driving his 2005 Volkswagen southbound on Harris Grade when, for unknown reasons, he made an unsafe turn off the road. The Volkswagen then traveled down a steep embankment located 200 feet from the side of the road.
According to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the driver needed "extensive extrication" to exit the vehicle.
County fire said a helicopter was initially called in but was canceled. Due to the terrain, crews were able to access the car from below.
Fire Captain Daniel Bertucelli said the vehicle was very unstable and the rescue could take several hours.
Photos of Vehicle Over The Side on Harris Grade. pic.twitter.com/dBr58GbuRQ
— Daniel Bertucelli (@SBCFireInfo) January 21, 2021
The driver was then transported to Marian Regional Medical Center to get checked before being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this collision is encouraged to contact Officer Moore at the Santa Maria Area Office at 805-349-3978.
