UPDATE: According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the man has been identified as 41-year-old Robert Rowie Weiting of Santa Maria.
A man was killed Monday morning in a solo vehicle rollover crash off Highway 101 just south of Jonata Park Road near Buellton, according to California Highway Patrol (CHP).
At approximately 10:25 a.m., CHP’s San Luis Obispo Communications Center received reports of a dark-colored Ford Ranger that had veered off the east side of the northbound side of the highway and rolled down an embankment. The solo driver was severely injured and trapped within the vehicle.
Emergency crews arrived shortly after. “Santa Barbara County Fire Department arrived, extricating the driver from the vehicle and began life-saving measures,” said Officer Carlo Dowling of CHP’s Buellton Area office in a press release. The man was pronounced dead at 11:13 a.m.
CHP temporarily closed one of the lanes of northbound Highway 101 to investigate the crash. All lanes have since reopened.
The driver’s identity has not yet been released. The Sheriff’s Office will release the name once all next-of-kin notifications are complete.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Buellton CHP Office at (805) 691-6160.
