[07-23-2022] Santa Barbara County, CA – 45-Year-Old Woman Killed in Fatal DUI Crash on Painted Cave Road

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, a 45-year-old woman identified as Nicole L. was killed in a fatal DUI crash on Painted Cave Road in Santa Barbara on Saturday, July 23, 2022.

The crash occurred around 10 p.m. at the Painted Cave Road area north of Highway 154.

According to sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick, the officers discovered a 37-year-old man awake near a car and a 45-year-old woman unconscious on the road.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to Zick, despite having a medical emergency while being detained for drunk driving, the man was taken to a nearby hospital and booked in absentia.

The Major Accident Response Team and forensic technicians were later dispatched to the scene as the Sheriff’s Office continued its investigation into the incident.

The Coroner’s Bureau carried out an autopsy as part of a death investigation on Wednesday.

Lawson’s final cause and manner of death are pending toxicology, according to Zick, who added that the multifaceted investigation is still ongoing.

The man is still in custody at the Santa Barbara County Main Jail and is being held without bail on charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving while under the influence of a controlled substance, causing injury, and as a remand for prior pending charges.

Fatal DUI Accident Statistics

Drunk driving is responsible for the deaths of more than 10,000 people each year, according to the NHTSA.

A person is killed by a drunk driver in the United States every 52 minutes. In 2019, more than one million people in the United States were arrested for DUI, with more than 10,000 deaths due to alcohol-related crashes. Drunk driving is to blame for one-third of all traffic fatalities.

In California, it is a crime to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Unfortunately, people continue to get behind the wheel while intoxicated.

In 2017, 123,548 Californians were detained on suspicion of driving under the influence. In that year, there were 26,967 injuries and 1,294 deaths attributed to drunk driving collisions.

Accidents involving drunk drivers tend to be worse than those involving other drivers because their reaction times and judgment are impaired.

Santa Barbara County DUI Accident Victims Lawyers

When a loved one dies due to someone else’s carelessness, it is especially heartbreaking. To find help after an accident caused by a DUI is not always easy.

Additionally, people who have been involved in a DUI accident typically have to deal with the loss of income, the reduction of their future earning capacity, and damage to their cars and other property.

Pain, suffering, and mental anguish are all too common in drunk-driving collision victims.

To recover some or all of these costs, you may file a lawsuit against the driver who was responsible for the accident. Our Santa Barbara County DUI accident victims lawyers at Arash Law are here to help you learn about your legal options and the best way to pursue a claim.

Call us at (888) 488-1391 or fill out our online intake form to speak with one of our attorneys about your case.