2 Drivers Killed, 1 Injured in Unrelated Crashes

Two unrelated auto accidents in western Ventura County left two drivers dead and a third motorist in serious condition Friday, authorities said.

An unidentified man traveling northbound on Pacific Coast Highway in Oxnard, one mile south of Pleasant Valley Road, crashed into a eucalyptus tree in the center divider about 6 p.m., officials said. The driver of the dark blue Chevrolet Malibu was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard, where he was pronounced dead.

The second accident occurred less than an hour later near Piru when a young woman driving a gray Chevy pickup eastbound on California 126 suddenly crossed into the westbound lane and smashed head-on into a black Jeep Cherokee, authorities said. The woman, whom officials had not yet identified, was killed at the scene. The male driver of the Jeep, also unidentified, was taken by helicopter to Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, where he was in serious condition. The accident slowed down eastbound traffic for about three hours.

No alcohol appeared to be involved in the collision, California Highway Patrol officials said, adding that witnesses said the pickup and the Jeep--which had its roof partially ripped off--were not traveling at excessive speeds.