Photo: fatal accident scene
Ventura County – Because Route 126 has a history as “blood alley,” posted speed limits of 55 mpg are rigorously enforced by radar-equipped CHP patrols. On May 31 law enforcement arrested a DUI driver for murder on this road.
California State Highway 126 runs through the Santa Clara River Valley, nestled between the cities of Ventura on the coast and Santa Clarita.
It’s an undivided east-west highway connecting the inland I-5 freeway and the scenic U.S. 101 overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Truck involved in wreck
But sometimes enforced speed limits aren’t enough to avert vehicular mayhem. Thus on the 31st a vehicle driven by 30-year-old Fillmore resident Eduardo Robles “rear-ended a sedan in front of him.”
That impact sent the hapless sedan spinning across highway lanes. Consequently it went into the path of a semi-trailer truck, colliding with it, “killing the driver of the sedan.”
In addition to the fatality, three other passengers of the sedan suffered injuries ranging from moderate to major. All required medical help at Ventura County Medical Center.
The initial investigation at the scene indicated that Robles drove under the influence when his car rear-ended the sedan. Additional evidence led investigators to the conclusion that Robles committed “an intentional act.” More particularly, he “accelerated his vehicle into the back of the other passenger car.”
Those findings provided sufficient probable cause for detectives to arrest Robles and transport him to Ventura County Jail. Robles’ charge of murder and one count of attempted murder earned a bail set at $700,000.
Photos: Courtesy Fillmore Fire Department
