CHP identifies woman killed in crash that sent car 300 feet over the edge of Highway 101
Authorities on Wednesday identified a Southern Oregon woman as the person who was killed over the weekend in a collision on Highway 101 south of Buellton.
The crash occurred at about 1:20 p.m. Sunday when Perla Marrero-Chairez, 34, of Santa Maria lost control of her northbound 2023 Kia, struck the center divider, and caromed into the slow lane and into the path of a 2010 Mercedes, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The Mercedes then ran off the east edge of the road, down a dirt embankment and overturned about 300 feet below the roadway, south of Old Coast Highway.
The Mercedes driver, Candace Ware, 66, of Brookings, Oregon, suffered fatal injuries in the collision, according to Raquel Zick, public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
The Kia continued northbound, and crashed into the concrete center divider again before overturning onto its right side, the CHP said.
Marrero-Chairez was not injured in the crash.
Drugs and alcohol were determined not to be a factor in this crash, which remained under investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this collision can contact the Buellton area CHP office at 805-688-5551.
Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com.
