Santa Maria

Guadalupe man arrested for DUI, crash

A Guadalupe man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after he allegedly caused an injury crash Sunday evening, Santa Maria police said.

Conrado Macias, 58, was treated at Marian Medical Center for minor injuries, then was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of felony drunken driving.

Shortly before 6 p.m., officers went to the 1300 block of West Betteravia Road for a call that a drunken driver had just crashed into the rear of a 2003 Mitsubishi Galant, and fled westbound on Betteravia in his 2006 Chevrolet Silverado truck.

Officers found the truck in the 1600 block of West Betteravia, where it was not able to be driven after it had crashed into a parked tractor/ trailer rig.

Macias was taken into custody at the scene of the second crash.

The driver of the Mitsubishi Galant, Linda Lewis, suffered from pain in her neck and back, and was taken to Marian Medical Center by ambulance.

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Santa Maria

Police search for 7-11 robbery suspect

Santa Maria police are looking for a man who robbed a convenience store in the 1800 block of North Broadway at knife point early Monday

At about 3 a.m., a Hispanic male used a knife to hold up a 7-11 clerk, police said. The clerk, who was uninjured, told officers the suspect demanded money and left the store with an undisclosed amount of cash. A search by officers to find the suspect was unsuccessful.

He was described as between 18 to 20 years old, 5 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds and wearing a black jersey over a blue hooded sweatshirt.

To report information on this incident, call Crime Stoppers at 1-877-800-9100.

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Highway 154

Man injured after going over guardrail

A seriously injured man was extricated from his vehicle Monday morning after it went over the guardrail on Highway 154 near San Marcos Pass, according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department.

The unidentified 23-year-old driver suffered major injuries and was taken to a hospital, said fire Capt. David Sadecki. The motorists apparently fell asleep at the wheel, Sadecki said.

Firefighters used the "Jaws of Life" tool to get the victim out of the vehicle, and he was carried up about 100 feet up the side of a hill by ropes, Sadecki said.

The cause of the 7:20 a.m. accident is under investigation by California Highway Patrol.

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Santa Maria

Motorist suffers injuries in collision

A motorist suffered minor injuries Monday after colliding with a semi truck near the intersection of West Main Street and Simas Road.

The California Highway Patrol reported the driver of a Ford sedan suffered unspecified injuries in the accident at about 4:15 p.m.

The westbound lane of West Main Street was closed for a short time while the accident was cleared.

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Santa Maria

Final phase street overlay to begin

The final phase of Santa Maria's street overlay and reconstruction project is scheduled to begin this week and continue throughout November, the city announced.

Drivers should expect temporary lane closures and detours to route traffic around the construction zone.

Overlay, a coating of asphalt on existing pavement, is planned for Cook Street from Pine Street to Railroad Avenue, Stratford Avenue, and Depot Street from Polk Street to Grant Avenue.

Drivers are encouraged to find alternate routes to avoid congestion. Also, drivers are asked to slow down in the work area and obey all temporary traffic control signs and flaggers.

For more information, call the Department of Public Works/Engineering Division at 925-0951, Ext. 225.

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Solvang

County furlough to close library

The Solvang Public Library will be closed Friday Nov. 6, due to a Santa Barbara County furlough day. Other libraries in the county that will be closed are Carpinteria, Eastside Santa Barbara, Goleta, Montecito and Santa Barbara. Libraries in Buellton, Lompoc and Santa Maria are not affected.

- From staff reports

November 3, 2009