Anonymous
Photo: SBPD
Source: Santa Barbara Police Department
On Sunday, February 24, 2019, at about 11:30 P.M, an on-duty Santa Barbara Police Officer was exiting a convenience store in the first block of South Milpas Street when he observed a compact Kia with five occupants heading south past his location at a high rate of speed.
Another vehicle, subsequently identified as being the victim of a hit-and-run collision with the Kia, was following the Kia a distance behind it.
The reckless driver of the Kia, late in noticing the Milpas roundabout ahead, went into a skid lasting almost the length of a football field, 78 yards (236 feet). The Kia ended its skid when it struck the Milpas roundabout’s central concrete planter before deflecting off it and coming to rest in the roadway.
The officer who observed the incident was on scene in a matter of seconds and immediately requested ambulances and the Santa Barbara Fire Department’s ‘Jaws-of-Life.’
The officer and the hit-and-run victim rendered immediate aid to the occupants of the Kia while they awaited additional emergency personnel. Two females crawled from the wreckage while three males remained trapped inside and needed to be extricated from the carnage.
All five of the Kia’s occupants were transported to Cottage Hospital via ambulance. Their injuries remain catastrophic.
Drugs and possibly alcohol are suspected to be a factor in this injury DUI, hit-and-run collision.
The twenty three year old driver, Joseph David Hernandez of Oxnard, who was already on probation for an earlier DUI conviction, faces charges of felony hit-and-run, possession of methamphetamine, driving with a suspended license, felony drunk driving with injury, and violating the terms of his probation.
Upon transport to Santa Barbara County Jail his bail will be $100,000. (Picture not available as he is still in hospital)
Another dumb bass driving under the influence.
I knew the roundabout would be found innocent!
Keyt refers to the injuries as “life altering”, which is not something you typically see so it must truly have been carnage, lost limbs, or other paralyzing injuries. Not a small crash and kias are not very solid vehicles, they weren’t well protected. Bad decisions all around and they will be paying for them for the rest of their lives.
Seat belts? Cars can absorb a lot of compression damage in head on collisions, and airbags are intended to prevent interior “carnage”. Was the car even in safe operating condition before these people got into it? Tragic on so many levels.
…Pay up taxpayers… there will be a HUGE Cottage Hospital bill to bring these idiots back to health. Once healthy, you’ll be paying for the drivers incarceration for a couple months…
I guess those tires were pretty bald by the time they got to the roundabout.