Santa Maria, CA (January 10, 2024) Arnol Hernandez Zuniga and Adrian Rojas-Ramirez, both 30, were killed in a head-on collision that left another driver seriously injured. According to authorities this fatal collision occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 30th, on Highway 101 in Santa Maria.
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Zuniga and Rojas-Ramirez were both inside the 2003 Nissan Murano that was heading the wrong way on Highway 101. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office reported that Zuniga was driving the wrong-way vehicle and Rojas-Ramirez was in the passenger seat. As Zuniga drove south on the northbound highway, a 2013 Toyota Highlander SUV was traveling north. The wrong-way Nissan headed right for the Toyota. The two vehicles collided, head-on, in the northbound lanes of the highway, near Broadway.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene and found both Zuniga and Rojas-Ramirez unresponsive inside the Nissan. They were both pronounced dead at the scene by authorities. The 37-year-old driver of the Toyota Highlander sustained serious injuries during the collision. They were rushed to Marian Medical Center to receive treatment for major injuries.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating this fatal accident to determine if drugs and/or alcohol were factors in this tragic crash. Officers hope to understand why Zuniga was driving the wrong way down Highway 101 and what led to this accident that left two people dead and another seriously injured.