A head-on collision involving a wrong-way driver and a Chumash Casino tour bus on Highway 101 north of Los Alamos early Friday resulted in one fatality and 14 injuries. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) reported that the crash occurred at approximately 3:05 a.m. when a Honda Civic traveling northbound in the southbound lanes struck the bus in the fast lane. Both vehicles subsequently caught fire.

The driver of the Honda was pronounced dead at the scene; authorities have not released the individual’s identity pending family notification. The bus, carrying 13 passengers and a driver identified as Rema Alicia Padilla of Santa Maria, was engulfed in flames, but all occupants were able to evacuate before the fire intensified. Passengers sustained minor to moderate injuries, with several transported to Marian Regional Hospital for medical treatment.

Emergency personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and other first responders quickly arrived to extinguish the blaze. Following the incident, all lanes of Highway 101 have been reopened. Kenneth Kahn, tribal chairman for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, expressed relief that all 14 occupants of the bus escaped harm and thanked the emergency responders for their prompt and professional efforts.

The CHP continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the wrong-way driving and subsequent collision.