SLO man dead in semi truck crash that closed Highway 46

An 84-year-old San Luis Obispo man was killed Sunday night after his motorhome collided with a semi truck on Highway 46 in a crash that closed portions of the road.

Pending notification of his family, the CHP is not releasing the name of the man, who died from his injuries at the scene.

At about 10:20 p.m., the unidentified man was driving a 2010 Chino motorcoach while traveling eastbound on Highway 46 downhill from Antelope Road at about 55 mph, the CHP said in a news release.

Jesus Duarte Lopez, 60, of Salinas was traveling eastbound on Highway 46 uphill at about 45 mph, towing a semi tractor trailer loaded with cardboard packages.

About two miles east of the Highway 41/Highway 46 intersection known as the Cholame “Y,” the 84-year-old driver drifted over the double yellow lines from the westbound lane into the path of the semi, the CHP said.

Duarte Lopez attempted to avoid the collision, but both vehicles crashed at the front driver side headlights, the agency said.

The truck tractor rolled off the south roadway edge and came to rest on its roof, the CHP said. The motorcoach rolled to a stop on the north shoulder of the highway.

Both drivers were wearing seat belts, but the 84-year-old died at the scene.

Duarte Lopez suffered major injuries and was transported to Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo. His condition was not immediately clear Monday morning.

Neither drugs nor alcohol are believed to have played a factor in the crash, the agency says.

The crash caused the closure of Highway 46 late Sunday night, but the highway was reopened Monday morning.

This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 8:57 AM.