Ashleigh Brilliant, a Santa Barbara celebrity known for his cartoons and humorous epigrams called “Pot-Shots,” was severely injured on 1/27 when a car hit him.
According to the police report, Brilliant, 77, was walking in an Olive Street crosswalk at around 7:45 a.m. when an 18-year-old driving southbound on Laguna Street struck him. The driver, who had stopped at the intersection’s five-way stop, said the sun was in his eyes.
Brilliant was immediately transported to Cottage Hospital where he underwent two surgeries to stop internal bleeding and repair his leg, which was broken in six places during the accident. The surgeries were successful, said friends and family, and he’s recovering well.