Motorcyclist, 23, Killed in Head-On Collision with Tesla in Lompoc

A motorcyclist was killed in a head-on collision with a Tesla on Highway 1 south of Lompoc on Wednesday evening.

The California Highway Patrol reports that 23-year-old Lompoc man Joseph Cruz was riding his Yamaha YZF-R1 southbound on the highway just south of Highway 246 at 5:43 p.m. when he failed to navigate a curve and veered into oncoming traffic. His motorcycle then collided into the front of a Tesla driven by a 38-year-old Lompoc woman. Cruz died at the scene, and the woman suffered minor injuries, the CHP reports.

The crash is under the investigation of the CHP’s Buellton office, which asks anyone with information to call Officer Hall at (805) 688-5551.