VENTURA : Man Dies When Car Careens Off Freeway

A 26-year-old man died Monday when the car in which he was a passenger went off a freeway and struck a tree in Ventura, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Alberto Torres of Santa Barbara was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident near Seaward Avenue and the Ventura Freeway about 2 a.m., according to a CHP spokeswoman.

The driver of the Honda Accord, James T. Pawlonek, 28, also of Santa Barbara, was taken for treatment of major injuries to Ventura County Medical Center, where he was reported in stable condition.

Pawlonek was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and is under investigation for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the CHP spokeswoman said.

Pawlonek told officers he dozed off and was awakened when his car hit the freeway’s divider. The car swerved before going down an embankment and hitting a eucalyptus tree while airborne.

Pawlonek was ejected, but Torres was pinned in the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was a broken neck, according to the coroner’s office.

Also during the Labor Day weekend, the CHP reported 41 arrests for drunk driving in Ventura County between 6 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Monday. The count was to continue until midnight Monday.