Man struck, killed by truck while crossing HWY 101 in Orcutt

ORCUTT, Calif. - A man was struck and killed by a pickup truck while walking on Highway 101 in Orcutt early Friday morning.

California Highway Patrol said a 60-year-old man from San Diego was walking down the northbound side of the freeway just south of Clark Avenue around 12:42 a.m.

Witnesses told officers the man appeared dazed and confused and was walking along the median between the north and southbound lanes.

Officers said reports came in that the man had been struck by a vehicle as they were responding to the location.

Vehicle v. Pedestrian- Hwy 101 n/b south of Clark Ave, Orcutt. A male struck in the #1 lane by a Ford F-150 suffered critical injuries and was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center. Driver of truck was not injured. Santa Maria Area CHP investigating. C/T 12:56 a.m.

— SBCFireInfo (@EliasonMike) July 16, 2021

According to Santa Barbara County Fire, the man was struck in the number one lane by a Ford F-150. The 60-year-old driver of the Ford was reportedly traveling in the number one lane of the northbound freeway at 65 miles per hour when he saw the pedestrian walking toward the median across the northbound lanes. The driver then steered his Ford to the right in an attempt to avoid hitting the man.

Unfortunately, the front left and left side of the vehicle struck the pedestrian and the driver immediately pulled over to the side of the freeway and called 911.

Paramedics assessed the pedestrian and determined he had sustained serious injuries and transported him to Marian Regional Medical Center. He was ultimately pronounced dead at the hospital.

County Fire said the driver of the truck was not injured and was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash.

CHP said it is unclear if the pedestrian was sober during the incident. The crash remains under investigation.