LOS ALAMOS, Calif. — One person was killed and 14 others were injured early Friday morning after a wrong-way driver collided head-on with a Chumash Casino employee bus on southbound Highway 101 near Los Alamos, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The crash occurred at approximately 3:17 a.m., prompting a large response from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department and other emergency agencies. Authorities said the collision sparked a fire that engulfed the bus, but all 14 passengers safely evacuated before the flames spread. The injured were transported to nearby hospitals for treatment.
In a statement, Kenneth Kahn, chairman of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, expressed gratitude that all team members escaped the burning bus and thanked first responders for their swift response.
The identity of the person killed has not yet been released pending notification of next of kin. The California Highway Patrol continues to investigate the cause of the fatal Highway 101 crash.