Car crash, fire injures one and temporarily closes Highway 46 near Templeton

Update, 3:09 p.m.:

According to a press release issued by the CHP, Julie Ellen Walton, 61, of Cayucos, was traveling eastbound on Highway 46 at approximately 55 mph in a 2019 Buick Encore when she drifted off the road.

The CHP said that Walton stated she was texting on her cell phone when the accident occurred.

The vehicle left the road and hit an oak tree, bursting into flames, the release said. Walton was able to extricate herself from the vehicle before it became fully engulfed.

Walton was taken to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center with major injuries, the CHP said. The investigation is ongoing at this time.

Update, 10:28 a.m.:

Highway 46 has been reopened near Hidden Valley Road, according to a tweet by Cal Fire.

Original story:

A vehicle crash and fire closed Highway 46 near Hidden Valley Road in Templeton on Saturday morning.

Just before 9:30 a.m., emergency responders received a call of a vehicle versus a tree with the car on fire and the occupant still in the vehicle, according to scanner traffic.

A CAL Fire tweet stated that one patient is being transported to the hospital with major injuries. The road is closed while the fire is being put out, according to the CHP Traffic Incident page.

The car was completely engulfed in flames, but the fire did not spread to the surrounding vegetation, according to the CHP page.

This story was originally published January 11, 2020 at 10:24 AM.