Woman and child injured in major crash between SUV and big rig on the Cuesta Grade
An Atascadero woman and child were injured in a Wednesday afternoon collision between a big rig truck and an SUV on the Cuesta Grade, the CHP said.
At about 3 p.m., Shannon Schmidt, 44, was driving a 2005 GMC Yukon in the No. 2 lane of southbound Highway 101 south of TV Tower Road, the CHP said. Schmidt moved into the No. 3 lane to pass a slower vehicle and collided into the back of the big rig, according to the agency.
The CHP said it did not know how fast Schmidt was driving.
The big rig, which was driven by Eriberto Ramirez Barba, 23, of Santa Maria, was traveling at 30 to 35 mph, the CHP said.
The impact of the crash caused the SUV to become wedged under the big rig, the CHP said. The front right passenger, a 9-year-old child, was able to get out of the SUV and suffered moderate injuries, the agency said.
Schmidt was seriously injured and had to be extricated from the vehicle, the CHP said. She and the child were taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo.
Ramirez Barba was not injured, the CHP said.
The crash blocked traffic on the Cuesta Grade, and both the No. 2 and No. 3 lanes were closed for about two hours, the CHP said.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the type of car involved in the collision.
This story was originally published February 20, 2019 at 3:26 PM.
