Guadalupe man identified as driver killed in crash near Buellton

BUELLTON, Calif. - A 67-year-old Guadalupe man has been identified as the driver killed in a crash on Highway 101 north of Buellton Friday evening.

The California Highway Patrol identified 67-year-old Thomas Vernon Smith as the person killed in the crash.

The crash happened just after 7 p.m. Friday night. CHP said it appears Smith was passing another vehicle in the northbound lane of Highway 101. The two vehicles made contact, sending Smith's 2009 Hyundai off the roadway and into an embankment where the vehicle flipped and collided with a tree.

The other vehicle, a 2013 Lexus, collided with a tree in the center divider. The driver of that vehicle, a 38-year-old Oakland woman, was taken to the hospital by a passerby who drove her to a local hospital in their personal vehicle.

CHP said witnesses attempted to provide aid to Smith while waiting for paramedics to arrive. Smith was declared dead at the scene following the arrival of paramedics and Santa Barbara County Fire Department personnel.

Both Smith and the Oakland woman were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. CHP said the driver of the Lexus suffered "moderate" injuries.