THOUSAND OAKS : Woman Killed in Accident Identified

A 22-year-old woman who died in a traffic accident on California 118 was identified Tuesday as Elaine Demand of Port Hueneme.

Demand died of chest injuries at Las Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks at 8:35 p.m. Monday, the coroner’s office said.

She was in the back seat of a 1983 Datsun Sentra driven by Connie Hoyt, 23, of Port Hueneme when the accident occurred east of Grimes Canyon Road at 7:38 p.m. Monday, said Jim Utter of the California Highway Patrol. Toni Rodenberg, 15, of Port Hueneme was also riding in the car, Utter said.

Hoyt was driving east about 40 m.p.h. when she approached railroad tracks and lost control of the vehicle. She swerved to the right, struck a concrete cylinder and swerved into oncoming traffic, the CHP said.

The driver of another car, Richard Gardner, 42, of Camarillo, could not stop in time and struck the right side of Hoyt’s car. Rodenberg was ejected from the vehicle and the others ended up in the back seat, investigators said.

Hoyt, who is five months pregnant, was taken to Pleasant Valley Hospital in Camarillo, where she was treated for minor injuries and released, a hospital spokeswoman said. Rodenberg was taken to Pleasant Valley Hospital with major head injuries. She was then transferred to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, where she was in good condition Tuesday, a hospital spokesman said.

No one in Hoyt’s car was wearing a seat belt, the CHP said.