Several People Hurt Seriously in 2 Accidents

Two separate, serious car accidents injured several people and backed up traffic for hours Saturday on the Ventura Freeway southbound from Santa Barbara and in both directions of California 126 near Piru, authorities said.

In the accident two miles west of Piru, eight people were injured--at least three of them seriously--in a head-on collision that occurred about 7:15 p.m., a Ventura County Fire Department spokeswoman said. The accident stopped traffic for several miles in both directions as Fire Department personnel worked to free two of the victims from the car in which they were trapped, the spokeswoman said.

The victims’ identities were not available late Saturday. At least two of the victims were small children, the California Highway Patrol said.

Two of the injured were taken to Ventura County Medical Center by helicopter, authorities said.

One witness, Edna Blanco, said the accident was caused by a dark-colored Lincoln that was swerving in and out of traffic and sped from the scene. Blanco, who lives nearby, said she called 911 to report the crash.

A CHP spokeswoman confirmed Blanco’s account and said authorities were searching for a dark-colored Lincoln that may have triggered the collision.

The multi-vehicle accident on the Ventura Freeway in Santa Barbara County near Carpinteria occurred about 5 p.m. and backed up southbound traffic for several hours, the CHP said. The victims were taken to St. Francis Hospital in Santa Barbara, while CHP personnel cleared the highway, a spokeswoman said.

Neither the number of victims nor their conditions were available late Saturday.