Triple Fatal Highway 154 Collision Sparks Fire, Shuts Down Roadway

Well I did say 'if" 8:26am, but yes, you are right. My bad.

How about a bunch more stop signs along the 154? That would discourage the speeders from wanting to use it as a shortcut to Los Olivos.

please sign and share this petition and write to our local officials to prevent more senseless deaths in our community. Thank you . https://www.change.org/p/s-monique-limon-stop-fatalities-by-increasing-road-safety-on-highway-154

https://www.independent.com/2019/02/23/weapons-cache-found-mental-health-law-enforcement/

John Dungan

I can't contain my anger right now. If this guy was exceeding the speed limit and was dui, he should be charged with 3 counts of murder. Why the heck don't people that are high or drunk just call a ride share?!?!

So horrible that the douchebag who hit her already had a police record and his injuries are “life threatening”. There’s a reason the news articles are saying ‘for unknown reasons’ he crossed the double yellow lines. They cannot prove in court that he chose to change lanes which would be murder, so they set it up for manslaughter conviction. ....if he survives.....

Name published in Noozhawk. Rebecca Vanessa Goss Bley (35) with a newborn and 2 year old. Refugio Vineyards. Exceptionally talented young woman with an equally talented husband. Lovely Instagram accounts. Hope they became Buddhas.

Bring free driver's training back to the local high schools. Not everyone can afford to pay for a course for their kids and many aren't adequately trained to be a driver's training teacher themselves, not to mention able to find time, not being high-strung or tired, and having enough patience to do it.

This story is still full of errors, Ed better check some other sources or get a proof reader. Per CHP commander it was a Chevy Volt, not a Prius, the Denali hit the Volt not the Camero and the Camero never caught on fire. Look at the photo, does that look like the Camero had been resting on the shoulder or was ever on fire. Sorry for being back so soon, but the litany of miss-information was more than I could stand.

I drive the pass over and back every work day - and have seen my share of crazy driving. Several times I have had to take evasive action when an oncoming car crossed over into my lane. Fortunately, I was able to recover, and there was no drama. I agree with those who suggest a physical barrier between the lanes. I would choose "Jersey Wall" (the concrete sections used for road construction projects).

One theme I see repeated in comments is that some drivers get frustrated by slower drivers, which causes them to pass unsafely. No. If you are frustrated, get over it. Breathe deeply, pay attention, and pass when it is safe. A slow driver does not cause your unsafe move. The slower driver should pull over when possible, but if they don’t, too bad. Chill out and live another day.

It says the trans-am, a heavy and fast five liter car, was traveling west across the cold-springs bridge at 5:23 PM so that likely would also have to mean the sun was in his eyes or certainly in his face. Blinded, he lost track of his lane and bamo. Or he just fell asleep or was drunk. There's no indication he was passing or speeding although either are possible. A real tragedy for everyone.

I'd say why not place concrete barriers between all the two lane stretches so at least it keeps people apart on the tight stretches.

I got a sizable speeding ticket when I moved back to the area at the start of 154 and I slowed down. Not only because of the cost but it had me rethink how lucky I am to have a license and a car.

Unfortunately the GPS nav systems built into cars these days directs traffic to the 154 as opposed to the 101. With the overpopulation of CA (and the world for that matter) there is just too many cars, not to mention drivers who have no experience driving on this highway. I'm all for making it a toll road. People who can prove residency get a free pass.

What a shame. No excuse for this sort of tragedy.
I'm not so sure lowering the speed limit is the solution. Frustrated drivers are OBVIOUSLY on part of the problem, and you often see erratic behavior when SY Valley visitors are trolling along at 40 mph. The speed of 55 is not a problem for those that can manage it. And a few other things contribute: 1) large tractor-trailer rigs that cannot pull the 154 grade and struggle with the windy road, without running 25 mph - rigs should be banned unless there is a Paradise Road or similar destination; 2) The Chumash should actively campaign in the media and at its casino with its visitors to use the 101/ 246 enter/exit routes - reducing the number of folks who travel this daunting road and are unfamiliar; 3) median barriers should be installed immediately in those areas where passing lanes choke back down to one, reducing the likelihood of hasty, last-minute passes; 4) And lastly, let's not just focus on speeding, the CHP should up the ante on ticketing those who have 5 or more trailing vehicles, at times we see as many as 30 vehicles behind - and with the ticket for not pulling over, they should kindly advise the drivers that there are alternate routes to the valley and if you cannot abide and pull over, use a freeway.
I'm sure there will be those that yell and scream about requiring slow drivers to pull over. But the impulsive passing that is most often seen on the pass occurs when there are folks that just don't belong on that road and they also make no effort to get out of the way when the opportunity presents.

It's not all about speeding, in many cases it's about frustrating behavior of drivers. I have yet to see the CHP ever light up a slow driver who has been blocking traffic - tickets for speeding yes, plenty of those but for obstructing traffic - never.

Let's work all ends of this problem.

Let me start by saying this accident is a horrible tragedy. My heart goes out to the families and friends of those involved. This particular accident is especially bizarre in that that section is a huge straightaway where you can clearly see oncoming traffic for quite a distance. What this guy was thinking going over the double yellow is beyond comprehension. We can only speculate at this point. I drive the pass almost daily, and yes it scares me at times. I've had a few close calls myself. There's a lot of talk about reducing the speed limit to 45, or putting in median barriers. Well, while that may reduce the severity of crashes it doesn't address the root cause of accidents. I would say 99% of accidents are caused by driver error. Whether that be driving distracted, impaired, tired, or excessively aggressively(the others caused by unexpected mechanical failures like a tire blowout). 154 should not be that dangerous of a road. Anybody who's ever driven in the SoCal mountain ranges, Sierras or Rocky mountains knows that there are tons of highways, just as well traveled as the 154 that are far steeper, narrower, windier, with more severe drop offs and no guard rails, and subject to more severe whether. And often times the speed limit on these roads is 55. A quick search will also show that Hwy 154 is not even in the top 20 deadliest highways in California. In fact most of the deadliest stretches of highway are busy freeways in LA and the Bay Area and big flat stretches of remote highway out in the desert. It's not speed or the road that causes the accidents, it's the drivers. The best way to prevent these types of accidents is better driver training and more severe penalties to those who choose to drive distracted, impaired, or make dumb decisions like passing over a double yellow line. Finally, reducing the speed to 45 could promote impatient drivers to develop road range and attempt bonehead maneuvers like this one to get around the slower drivers. Attempting to get 154 off of GPS routes is a great idea. Putting large signs at the 101/154 intersections that 154 is not recommended for through traffic and vehicles towing trailers would also help. If you are concerned about the safety of Hwy 154 beyond that, don't drive on the road. Unfortunately, no matter where you go there will always be accidents and people making poor decisions. You take a risk every time you get into an automobile. End Rant.

One thing that might help is to have the GPS (is that right?) giving directions to take 154 quit doing that. Also, the signs recommended here for stating how many deaths occur on 154 might help divert drivers to skip this for the 101. Scary how many accidents happen. This one is especially horrendous. If the one who caused it survives he should go to prison for murder.

It takes many factors, not any one you can get wrong while driving. Let me guess - a high powered car (400-800hp these days), young male, big fan of the "fast and the furious" movies, takes the 154 as a "challenge", mis-judges distances of oncoming traffic and walls. Attitude- they did it in the movies, speed limits are "just suggestions". Anyway, here comes self-driving cars, so that should solve everything...