SANTA PAULA : Wrong-Way Driver Held in Hit-and-Run
A 77-year-old Santa Paula man was arrested after he allegedly drove west in the eastbound lane of California 126, struck another car, then drove north in the southbound lane of the Ventura Freeway, the California Highway Patrol said.
Edward L. Vanegas was arrested about 10:35 p.m. Monday on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and hit-and-run, a CHP spokeswoman said.
Vanegas was driving in the wrong direction just east of Briggs Road near Santa Paula on California 126. His 1974 Lincoln struck a glancing blow to a car driven by Garth G. Purcell, 30, of Ventura, causing minor damage, the spokeswoman said.
She said Vanegas continued in the wrong direction, passing CHP officers at Saticoy who were responding to numerous calls about the wrong-way driver. In Ventura, he exited the highway and entered the Ventura Freeway going in the wrong direction, the spokeswoman said. Officers finally stopped the car near Seaward Avenue.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
