Tanker driver charged in Highway 166 crash that spilled 4,500 gallons of oil into river
The driver of a tanker truck that crashed on Highway 166 and spilled crude oil into the Cuyama River last year will face misdemeanor charges in Santa Maria Superior Court, Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley announced Friday.
Jesse Villasana, who was identified last year as being 34 years old and a resident of Wasco, has been charged with three misdemeanors for polluting waters and unlawfully taking fish or wildlife for species harmed by the spill east of Santa Maria.
Additionally, he received two infractions for driving at an unsafe speed for prevailing conditions and making an unsafe turn or lane change.
Authorities contend that Villasana was driving an oil tanker truck at an unsafe speed when it crashed, spilling about 4,533 gallons of oil into the Cuyama River on March 21, 2020.
He was hauling about 6,678 gallons of crude oil with approximately two-thirds of the load leaking into the river east of Aliso Creek.
Two of the misdemeanor charges allege violations of the Fish and Game Code for allegedly causing the death of at least two birds — a belted kingfisher and a mallard — in connection with the spill, according to the District Attorney’s Office’s Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit.
The driver allegedly told California Highway Patrol officers that the westbound truck’s trailer began to sway side to side as he entered a curve.
When the truck went on the right shoulder, the driver attempted to correct the path by making a hard turn to the left, causing the trailer to disconnect from the truck and roll down the embankment into the riverbed.
Crews from several agencies and organizations scrambled to contain the spill ahead of a rainstorm set to arrive the next day.
In addition to containing and cleaning up the oil, personnel remained at the scene for several days to collect oil-covered wildlife in need of care.
Villasana is scheduled to be arraigned in a Santa Maria courtroom on June 25.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 11:44 AM.