SATICOY : Ventura Woman Dies in Head-On Crash

An 18-year-old Ventura woman was killed and another teen-ager seriously injured in a head-on collision Thursday when their car crossed the center stripe on a narrow stretch of Telegraph Road in Saticoy, police said.

Elizabeth Ann Aguilar was dead at the scene, authorities said. Firefighters had to cut the roof off the 1967 Chevrolet to extricate three others, including two toddlers, fire officials said.

The driver of the car, Ventura resident Serena Lopez, also 18, was in serious condition at Ventura County Medical Center after undergoing surgery for a broken leg, police and hospital officials said.

Lopez’s two young daughters, who were wearing seat belts but were not in safety seats, escaped the crash without serious injury, although one girl had a broken arm, said Ventura Police Cpl. John Turner.

Witnesses told police that they saw Lopez’s car swerving in the eastbound lane of Telegraph Road near Saticoy Avenue shortly before noon. Her car crossed the double yellow line and slammed into a 1988 Buick, police said.

The driver of that car, Thomas Davis, 59, of Ventura was not seriously injured, police said.

Lopez did not have a license with her, and Turner said he was investigating the accident to determine if Lopez was driving recklessly. He said alcohol use apparently was not a problem.

Lopez told investigators that car trouble caused her to swerve out of control, Turner said.