A car crash took the life of a San Luis Obispo woman Thursday morning.
It happened along Los Osos Valley Road right outside Congregation Beth David just east of Foothill Boulevard.
A lot of people were headed to work Thursday morning when the two cars collided at around 7:30 a.m.
“It’s sad,” said Joshua Maez. “I mean, there was a life that was lost.”
The driver of a silver Honda was killed after driving on the wrong side of the road. The car hit a gray Dodge sedan head-on, according to the California Highway Patrol.
“Unfortunately, there was nowhere to go for the driver of the Dodge,” said Officer Mike Poelking, California Highway Patrol.
The Honda, driven by a 52-year-old woman, was heading toward Los Osos in the wrong lane. The other driver, identified by the CHP as 42-year-old Jeffrey Raidor of Los Osos, was driving into San Luis Obispo.
One officer got there within a minute of the call.
“One of the vehicles someone was responsive,” said Officer Michael Trenery. “The other party had a citizen checking her pulse. We administered CPR. I did compressions. He provided oxygen out of the medical bag and we worked on that until we were relieved by CAL FIRE personnel.”
The CHP says the Honda driver died from blunt force trauma. Officers add that Raidor was taken to the hospital for a broken ankle and pain to his body.
Where it happened is a busy stretch of road used by a lot of locals.
“Los Osos Valley Road has been pretty convenient for most of us in Morro Bay and Los Osos coming and going from San Luis Obispo as opposed to Highway 1,” said Sean McBride.
While we do not yet know what caused this deadly crash…
“This stretch of road can actually be very scary,” said Kathy Curtis Cahill.
Several drivers we talked with say they’ve come across distracted drivers and people speeding.
“They don’t stay at 55 and people will pass across the double yellow line and so because it’s just a long stretch of road, it’s like a speedway,” Cahill said.
“Me personally, I’m always situationally aware. I’m always focused on the road,” Maez concluded.
The CHP says that alcohol or drugs are not a factor in this crash.
The name of the driver who was killed will be released once all family members are notified.
Officers say that despite this morning’s crash, this particular intersection, at Valle Vista Place and LOVR, isn’t known for having many accidents. The nearby intersection of Los Osos Valley Road and Foothill Boulevard has more problems.
