SLO County man airlifted to hospital after wrong-way driver causes two crashes on Hwy. 101
A Los Osos man was seriously injured Tuesday night after when a wrong-way truck driver caused at least two accidents on Highway 101 south of Los Alamos.
In total, three people were critically injured, and the wrong-way driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Will Platte, 44, of Los Osos was among the most seriously injured in the second of the two collisions, according to a member of his extended family.
After the impact, his pickup truck caught fire and Good Samaritan citizens used fire extinguishers to diminish the blaze until firefighters arrived, Gloria Fiscalini of Cambria reported.
Rescuers had to use heavy equipment to rescue him from his truck, she said, and a CalStar medical helicopter flew him to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.
The Los Osos man had been returning from a fishing trip and was still in intensive care Thursday morning, with broken ribs and nose, foot and other injuries, according to Fiscalini. Devin Langley, Platte’s sister, is Gloria Fiscalini’s daughter-in-law.
Crashes occurred on Highway 101 near Los Alamos
At approximately 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, Santa Barbara County firefighters, sheriff’s deputies and California Highway Patrol officers were dispatched to the crash scenes in the northbound lanes between Los Alamos and Buellton.
Emergency personnel determined that two collisions had occurred, according to fire Capt. Daniel Bertucelli.
One crash occurred at Alisos Canyon, and the second was near the Highway 154 intersection, Bertucelli added.
Other patients were transported to the hospital by ground ambulance, Bertucelli said.
The wrong-way vehicle was driving south in the northbound lanes, according to the CHP.
The first crash occurred south of Alisos Canyon and involved a 50-gallon fuel spill, with the incident investigated by Santa Maria CHP officers.
A short time later, the wrong-way driver of a 2018 Freightliner collided head-on with Platte’s 2015 Toyota, Buellton CHP Officer Keith Rogers said.
Rogers said the driver of a 2018 Freightliner, Christopher Moreno, 32, of Clovis, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Both Moreno and a passenger, Cody Serrato, 31, of Squaw Valley, were taken to Marian Regional Medical Center for treatment of moderate injuries, the CHP said.
This crash also led to a fuel spill with 30 gallons of diesel leaking into the center median, the CHP said.
Both northbound lanes were closed while the helicopter landed on the highway to pick up the patient.
Lane closures in the area continued into Wednesday morning, according to Caltrans, whose personnel also responded to the scene to assist with the spilled fuel.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 10:23 AM.
