Edhat Staff
Update by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
September 30, 2022
The Coroner’s Bureau is releasing identity of the passenger who died in the single vehicle collision on Highway 1 north of Santa Lucia Canyon Road on September 28, 2022.
The decedent is 10-year-old Judith Perez De La Cruz of Lompoc.
Child Killed in Lompoc Vehicle Rollover
By the edhat staff
September 28, 2022
One child was killed and two others were injured when a truck rolled off the side of the road near Lompoc Wednesday.
At 7:57 a.m., Santa Barbara County firefighters responded to Highway 1 just south of Santa Lucia Canyon Road close to Vandenberg Village. They discovered a SUV had flipped 50 feet into heavy brush with multiple people injured.
Crews discovered an 18-year-old female was driving a 2002 GMC Envoy and made an “unsafe turning movement” at an undetermined speed which caused the vehicle to flip numerous times.
The two passengers, 10-year-old and 8-year-old females, were both ejected from the vehicle. One of the children was found deceased underneath the vehicle. The other child was flown to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with serious injuries and the driver was transported to Marian Regional Medical Center by a ground ambulance with a head injury.
At the time of the emergency response, Public Information Officer Mike Eliason stated that due to the extent of injuries to those involved, a correct count of those that were in the vehicle couldn’t be verified and firefighters were “searching methodically” by ground and air around the area for other possible patients.
California Highway Patrol closed both lanes of Highway 1 in the area and reopened the left lane around 10:00 a.m.
Alcohol and drugs are not considered to be a factor in the collision.
Photo: SBCFD
[Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with more information provided by the California Highway Patrol]
How awful. What a way to die. My deepest condolences to the loved ones and to those who were involved in the crash. A little food for thought for you a-holes who were not involved whatsoever and want to place blame… I hope you realize that physics (momentum) plays a role here, maybe the kids were in seatbelts but the velocity of the crash and the fact that the vehicle rolled quite possibly played a role in why those smaller passengers were ejected. Regardless of fault, implore all of you negative people, to apply some restraint before you spew your comments. Think and act as if you were speaking about your own loved ones in a situation like this, Basically learn some decorum and compassion, especially if you assume and are convinced your comments are correct. RIP little one.