Pedestrian Killed by Big Rig on Highway 101 Identified as Lompoc Man

The man struck and killed by a big rig truck on Highway 101 in Goleta early Thursday morning has been identified by the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office as 30-year-old Paul Douglas Larson, of Lompoc.

Larson was reportedly crossing from the right shoulder to the center divider when he was hit by a semitruck driving southbound in the center lane, according to California Highway Patrol. The driver immediately stopped and called 9-1-1, but when emergency personnel arrived, Larson had already sustained major injuries and died at the scene.

The incident caused major traffic delays, with a temporary closure of southbound lanes and bumper-to-bumper traffic for drivers headed from Goleta to Santa Barbara throughout the day. The highway was restricted to one lane until Caltrans crews cleared the area around 1 p.m.

The driver of the big rig was not injured and was not suspected to be under the influence of any drugs or alcohol. 

It was the second vehicle-versus-pedestrian death in less than three days in the Goleta area; two days earlier, a one-year-old boy was struck and killed on the street in Old Town.