Edhat Staff
Late Monday evening, a driver died after their vehicle crashed over an embankment, igniting a brush fire along Highway 154 near Rancho Alegre Road in Santa Ynez Valley.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department reported the incident, indicating that the vehicle not only fell approximately 50 feet from the highway but was also engulfed in flames upon their arrival.
The event caused a fire that extended into the surrounding brush, spanning a 50-foot by 50-foot area. The intensity of the situation was heightened by the ensuing wildfire risk in the drought-stricken region.
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports Nicholas E. Johnson, 36 of Menifee, was driving a 2015 Hyundai westbound on SR-154, east of Rancho Alegre (which is east of Cachuma Lake Recreation Center) within unincorporated Santa Barbara County.
For unknown reasons, at 9:20 p.m. the vehicle traveled off the north roadway edge, down the dirt embankment, collided with a tree and came to rest at the bottom of the embankment. After the crash the vehicle burst into flames. Johnson was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Firefighting units responded quickly to the emergency call, which was logged at 9:31 pm, with firefighters managing to contain and extinguish the fire by 9:54 pm.
The fatal incident prompted an extended closure of Highway 154 as officials conducted their investigation and worked to clear the aftermath.
The cause of the accident is currently under investigation by CHP Officer A. Lekaunas, ID 23956. If you have any information regarding this crash, please contact the CHP Buellton Area at (805) 691-6160.
