Six injured in Highway 126 head-on
collision near Timber Canyon Road
October 07, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Six people were injured — several seriously — when two vehicles collided head-on Saturday evening on Highway 126 west of Timber Canyon Road between Santa Paula and Fillmore.
According to the California Highway Patrol the collision occurred at 8:03 p.m. when for an unknown reason a white 2012 Mazda CX9 SUV traveling eastbound on the highway driven by Deirde Van De Mheen, 42, of Fillmore, swerved into oncoming westbound traffic.
The Mazda hit a 2005 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Horacio Gutierrez, 37 of Oxnard, head-on.
The vehicles slammed into each other with such force that a witness that passed the scene right after the collision occurred said the front ends of both the Mazda and the Ford were “pulverized...”
Santa Paula and Ventura County Fire departments responded to the scene where they spent close to an hour to free Van De Mheen, who was trapped in the wreckage, from the Mazda SUV. Fire EMTs and ambulance paramedics also treated the injured.
Mheen suffered major injuries that resulted from the collision and was taken by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center. Gutierrez also suffered major injuries and was taken by ambulance to Santa Paula Hospital.
Four passengers that were riding with Gutierrez in the Ford F-150 sustained major to moderate injuries and were all transported by ambulance to Ventura County Medical Center.
The crash caused the westbound lanes of Highway 126 to be closed for approximately 30 minutes while EMTs treated the injured; traffic was diverted onto an eastbound lane.
According to a CHP spokesman, “Alcohol is not suspected to be a factor in the cause of this traffic collision. The collision is still under investigation,” and anyone who witnessed or has information regarding the collision should contact the Ventura Area CHP office at (805) 477-4100.
