A driver from Menifee died in a crash along the westbound lanes of Highway 154 Monday night.
The California Highway Patrol reports Nicholas Johnson, 36, was driving a 2015 Hyundai at around 9:20 p.m. in an area described by investigators as MPM 17 when the vehicle went off the road, onto the dirt embankment and crashed into a tree. The vehicle then burst into flames.
Both California Highway Patrol and Santa Barbara County officers responded to the crash. Johnson was declared dead on the scene.
The cause of the crash is being investigated. Anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP Buellton Area at (805) 691-6160.
