UPDATE (4:36 p.m.) - More information is being released about a crash that killed a motorcyclist and shut down Highway 1 near Vandenberg Space Force Base for more than four hours Thursday.
It happened around 7:40 a.m. near Firefighter Road.
The California Highway Patrol says their initial investigation shows the driver of a Yukon was heading northbound when, for unknown reasons, she crossed into the southbound lanes and hit a motorcyclist head-on.
CHP says the motorcycle was thrown into the other southbound lane where it was hit by another vehicle. The motorcyclist was ejected from the bike and died at the scene.
Officers say after the initial collision, the drivers of two other vehicles traveling southbound saw the Yukon heading the wrong way and drove into the center median to avoid a collision.
Because of this, CHP says one of the vehicles was damaged after being hit by debris from the initial crash. Another vehicle had some damage from driving into the center median.
Those drivers remained at the scene.
The driver of the Yukon has been identified as a 21-year-old woman from Santa Maria. She was taken to the hospital for treatment of what CHP said were minor injuries.
CHP says drugs or alcohol do not appear to be factors in the crash and no arrests were made.
The motorcyclist’s name has not yet been released.
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UPDATE (8:33 a.m.) - CHP reports both north and southbound lanes of Hwy 1 have been closed.
Northbound Hwy 1 is blocked at the main gate of Vandenberg Space Force Base. Southbound Hwy 1 is closed at the South Y, where Hwys 1 and 135 split.
A Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Coroner is headed to the crash.
#Hwy1 closed near Vandenberg Space Force Base following motorcycle incident at #Hwy1/San Antonio Road. Northbound #Hwy1 closed at the VSFB main gate. Southbound #Hwy1 closed at the south y. Unknown estimated time of reopening.
— Caltrans District 5 (@CaltransD5) July 28, 2022
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(8:23 a.m. ) - One person is dead, and another is critically injured, after a head-on motorcycle crash near Vandenberg Space Force Base Thursday morning.
The crash happened at about 7:42 a.m. along Hwy 1 near Firefighter Rd., south of San Antonio Rd.
All southbound lanes of the highway are closed by the crash. One northbound lane is also closed.
California Highway Patrol reports two vehicles and a motorcycle were involved in the crash. Report logs indicate a vehicle heading northbound on Hwy 1 crossed the center divide and hit the motorcycle head-on. Shortly after, a nearby vehicle also hit the motorcycle.
A witness who reported the crash said the motorcycle caught fire.
#HWYInc: Fatality Motorcycle accident with 2 vehicles involved. HWY 1/ San Antonio Rd. VAFB to handle. SBC ME34 cxl. SBC M34 to continue. 1 Red, 1 Black tag. C/T 07:49
— Scott Safechuck (@SBCFireInfo) July 28, 2022
Officials have not identified the individual killed in the crash.
The California Highway Patrol is handling the crash investigation.
