Car found in creek bed a day after fatal crash killed SLO County driver
The California Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal crash in a San Miguel creek bed that wasn’t discovered until more than a day later.
At around 5:20 p.m. on Monday, a rancher was tending to his animals when he saw a vehicle resting in a sandy creek bed and reported it to authorities, the release said.
An initial investigation has led officers to believe Daniel G. Koudelka, a 50-year-old San Miguel resident, crashed Sunday and died. He was the driver and sole person in the vehicle when it was discovered.
On Sunday at approximately 6:45 a.m., Koudelka was driving 2013 Nissan Juke northbound on Ranchita Canyon Road at an unknown speed. He turned the vehicle from a straight course of travel and drove off the road onto a dirt shoulder, resulting in his vehicle overturning and going down a steep dirt gully, according to a news release.
According to the investigation, the vehicle overturned about three times before stopping on its wheels in a dry creek bed facing southeast.
Koudelka suffered fatal injuries, the release said.
The CHP said impairment is expected to be a factor in the crash. The investigation is ongoing.
