Authorities Release Name of Man Killed in Wrong-Way Collision on Highway 101 in Santa Barbara
The 43-Year-Old Santa Barbara Man Died in Hospital Following October 13 Crash North of Las Positas Road
[Updated: Fri., Oct. 27, 2023, 11am]
The Sheriff’s Office has released the name of a wrong-way driver killed in the October 13 head-on collision on the southbound Highway 101 north of Las Positas Road in Santa Barbara.
The driver was 43-year-old Santa Barbara man Jose Nicholas Rodriguez, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Raquel Zick announced on Wednesday. According to the the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Rodriguez drove his Nissan Sentra northbound onto the southbound 101 from the Las Positas off-ramp at around 9:30 p.m. the night of the crash. He hit two cars stopped on the off-ramp, causing only property damage, before colliding head-on with a Volkswagen Atlas SUV traveling southbound on the 101.
The 53-year-old Lompoc woman driving the SUV suffered major injuries while her two teenage sons were moderately injured, and all three were transported to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Rodriguez was also taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead the night of the crash, according to Zick.
CHP is investigating the collision and reported that while the mother driving the SUV was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, it is still unknown whether Rodriguez had drugs or alcohol in his system.
