1 person killed, another injured in head-on motorcycle crash at Vandenberg base

One person was killed and another was critically injured Thursday in a head-on vehicle crash on Highway 1 on Vandenberg Space Force Base near Lompoc, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The collision involving a motorcycle and a GMC Yukon SUV occurred at about 7:40 a.m. near San Antonio Road and Firefighter Road, said fire Capt. Scott Safechuck.

The SUV was headed north when it crossed the center median and slammed head-on into the southbound motorcycle, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The motorcycle, which subsequently collided with another vehicle, reportedly caught fire after the collision.

The motorcycle rider was declared dead at the scene, and a female occupant of the SUV was taken by AMR ambulance to Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria with major injuries, Safechuck said.

Her name and details on her condition were not available.

Highway 1 was shut down between the VSFB Main Gate and the South Y following the crash, but was reopened shortly after noon.

Personnel from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau responded to the scene to handle the remains.

This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 11:26 AM.