Man killed in New Year’s Eve crash on Highway 1

A man was killed in a New Year’s Eve collision on Highway 1 at San Luisito Creek Road, the CHP reported.

The crash apparently happened when a man driving a Chevrolet pickup turned left directly in front of Gerardo Aldama’s Hyundai Sonata. Aldama applied his brakes, according to the CHP report, but was unable to avoid the crash in which the front of the sedan collided with the right side of the pickup.

Immediately after the collision, the pickup caught on fire. The truck’s driver, who has not yet been identified publicly, incurred fatal injuries.

Aldama, a Santa Maria resident, wasn’t injured.

Anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to call CHP Officer Mallory at (805) 594-8700, the CHP’s San Luis Obispo office.

This story was originally published January 1, 2022 at 12:08 PM.

Kathe Tanner

The Tribune

805-781-7904 (voicemails only)

Kathe Tanner has been writing about the people and places of SLO County’s North Coast since 1981, first as a columnist and then also as a reporter. Her career has included stints as a bakery owner, public relations director, radio host, trail guide and jewelry designer. She has been a resident of Cambria for more than four decades, and if it’s happening in town, Kathe knows about it.