Fatalities reported on Highway 33 and Highway 126 Saturday afternoon

Staff reports
Updated ·2 min read
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The California Highway Patrol is investigating a fatality on Highway 33 reported late Wednesday afternoon.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with new information from the CHP.

Two fatal traffic incidents were reported on Ventura County roadways Saturday afternoon in the Ojai Valley and outside Santa Paula, the California Highway Patrol reported, marking three deadly collisions on local roadways within an 18-hour stretch.

Highway 33 crash

Shortly before 1:15 p.m. Saturday, a 77-year-old Santa Barbara man was killed in a collision while riding a motorcycle on Highway 33 near Meiners Road, CHP officials said in a release. The crossing is in the unincorporated Meiners Oaks community west of Ojai.

The rider had been on a 2004 MV Agusta sport bike headed northbound on the 33. A 2013 BMW passenger vehicle headed was westbound on Meiners Road.

The BMW driver, a 50-year-old Ojai woman, reportedly entered the intersection as the motorcyclist was riding by, the CHP reported, and the two vehicles collided.

The rider was taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center, where he died. The driver and her 13-year-old passenger weren't injured. The incident remained under investigation Saturday.

Highway 126 fatality

Less than an hour later, around 2:07 p.m., a pedestrian died after getting struck along westbound Highway 126 near Willard Road, east of Santa Paula.

The pedestrian was identified Wednesday as Lorenzo J. Prinze, 23, a Milpitas man, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office. The manner was found to be suicide, the agency reported. CHP officials had previously provided a different name and gender.

Patrol officers had initially responded to reports of a pedestrian walking on the westbound highway east of Willard Road. As they were responding, 911 callers said the person had been hit by a motorist.

The driver was a 70-year-old Fillmore man in a 2016 Dodge, CHP officials said in a release.

Lorenzo was declared dead at the scene. The cause remains under investigation.

The incident slowed westbound traffic on the 126 for a time. Lanes had been cleared out shortly after 4:30 p.m.

Friday fatality

Separately, on Friday night, a bicyclist was fatally struck on Highway 126 in Santa Paula around 8:20 p.m., when westbound lanes were closed for hours at Tenth Street.

All three fatalities are being investigated by the CHP's Ventura-area office.

Anyone with information on any of the incidents is asked to call the Ventura CHP office at 805-662-2640.

This story may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 2 fatal traffic incidents reported outside Ojai, Santa Paula Saturday