Update: Victim of fatal collision on Highway 46 identified
Update posted 6 a.m., Feb. 2, 2022:
–The person who was killed in a fatal collision on Highway 46 Monday was identified on Tuesday by the California Highway Patrol as 60-year-old David Alan Schulte of Exeter.
Update posted 7:45 a.m., Feb. 1, 2022:
Image from Cal Fire.
Update: Four-vehicle collision on Highway 46 leaves one dead, three injured
– The California Highway Patrol has released additional details about the fatal collision that occurred on Highway 46 on Monday and has released the identities of the parties involved:
On Jan. 31, 2022, at 12:05 p.m., 44-year-old Parlier Calif. man Jose T. Morales was driving a GMC Yukon westbound on Highway 46, east of Bitterwater Road. Donald Erwin, an 88-year-old man from Lake Isabella, Calif., was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee and towing a flatbed utility trailer eastbound on Highway 46, east of Bitterwater Road. The third party, who has not yet been identified, was driving a Dodge 3500 truck traveling to the rear of Erwin’s Jeep. Daniel Horovitz, a 35-year-old San Diego man, was driving a Toyota Tacoma and was traveling to the rear of party three’s Dodge.
For unknown reasons at this time, Morales reportedly traveled to the left of the double yellow lines and side-swiped the left rear wheel of Erwin’s Jeep and the Jeep’s utility trailer. After this impact, Morales’ GMC continued In a westerly direction where the front end of his vehicle impacted the front end of party three’s Dodge. This impact resulted in fatal injuries to the driver of the Dodge.
Morales’ GMC overturned across the westbound lanes and came to rest on its roof on the north dirt shoulder. Erwin’s vehicle traveled out of control in an easterly direction across the westbound lanes and onto the north shoulder, where it came to rest on its wheels. The utility trailer detached from the Jeep and came to rest blocking the eastbound and westbound lanes. The trailer was then moved prior to CHP’s arrival.
The Dodge continued in an easterly direction, off the south shoulder and traveled through a barbed-wire fence, and eventually came to rest in a grass field on its wheels. Bianca Lyrio, a 28-year-old from San Diego driving a Toyota Tacoma swerved to avoid a collision and traveled off of the south shoulder down an embankment and collided with a barbed-wire fence; the vehicle coming to rest on its wheels.
Morales was arrested on the scene for suspicion of driving impaired. He was transported by ambulance to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center, where he was medically released and booked into the San Luis Obispo County Jail. Erwin and his passenger, 55-year-old Scott Erwin) were complaining of pain and will seek their own aid. No injuries were claimed at the scene by Lyrio.
Original story posted 6 a.m., Feb. 1, 2022:
Highway shut down in both directions Monday afternoon
– An major vehicle pileup on Highway 46 occurred Monday shortly after noon near what’s known as the Cholame “Y.” One person died in the collision and three people were injured, according to Cal Fire San Luis Obispo.
The highway was shut down in both directions at around 2 p.m. due to the crash. It was later reopened at around 3 p.m., according to reports.
According to a tweet by Cal Fire, the collision involved four vehicles, with one death, two minor injuries, and one major injury:
TRAFFIC COLLISION: HWY 46 E near Jack Ranch in #Cholame. #RanchIC Four vehicles involved, one deceased, one major, and two minor injuries. Traffic is closed and backed up for several miles. Use alternate routes. #CountyOfSlo pic.twitter.com/4QjQfPQ4oQ
— CAL FIRE SLO (@CALFIRE_SLO) January 31, 2022
No further details are available at this time.
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