Fiery Crash on Cathedral Oaks in Goleta Leaves One Dead, Two Injured

An 18-year-old from Santa Barbara was arrested after a fiery fatal accident on Cathedral Oaks Road in Goleta late Thursday night that left one 22-year-old male passenger dead and another with major injuries, according to a statement from California Highway Patrol (CHP) Friday morning.

Around 11 p.m. on April 20, the three men were riding westbound in a white 2017 Ford pickup on Cathedral Oaks near Kellogg Avenue when the truck “struck a tree on the right shoulder,” according to the CHP report, and burst into flames. When CHP, Santa Barbara County Fire, and emergency services responded to the scene, they found one of the young men had pulled himself away from the burning truck. Fire crews rescued one of the men stuck inside, but the other — a 22-year-old male whose name has not been released pending notification of next of kin — was pronounced dead on the scene.

Both the driver and the other 22-year-old passenger sustained major injuries, including “multiple lacerations and severe burns to several areas of their bodies,” and both were taken to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where they were treated for their injuries.  

According to CHP, Cathedral Oaks was closed for nearly 11 hours during the investigation.

Witnesses living in the area say they could hear the loud crash from the surrounding neighborhoods. The cause of the crash is under investigation, and the driver has not yet been charged with any crimes related to the incident.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is requested to contact the CHP at (805) 967-1234.