1 dead, 2 critically injured in crash on Highway 166

One person was killed and two others were critically injured Monday afternoon in a single-vehicle crash near New Cuyama, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The crash occurred as a Chevy Express van was eastbound on Highway 166 just east of Aliso Canyon Road, said CHP Officer Maria Barriga.

For unknown reasons, the driver — Javier Mendez Santos, 19, of Bakersfield — allowed the van to drift off the roadway onto the right shoulder, Barriga said.

The vehicle struck a dirt embankment, then came to a rest on its roof in the roadway.

Santos suffered major injuries in the crash, as did a passenger, a Bakersfield man whose name and age were not available, Barriga said.

A second passenger, a 23-year-old Bakersfield woman, was fatally injured, and was declared dead at the scene. Her name was not released pending notification of relatives.

The two injured men were transported to Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. Details on their conditions were not available.

The crash was under investigation by the CHP.