1 Dead, 1 Critically Hurt in Crash

A rabbi was killed and a woman seriously injured Tuesday in a two-car crash on the southbound Ventura Freeway in the beach community of Mussel Shoals, authorities said.

The collision closed all southbound lanes of the freeway for more than two hours and caused a seven-mile backup into Santa Barbara County, officers said. Hundreds of motorists were rerouted over Casitas Pass.

Rabbi Martin Ballonoff, 51, died at the scene of the 3:30 p.m. collision, which occurred at a freeway intersection that provides access to a restaurant, hotel and several homes in Mussel Shoals.

Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies notified Ballonoff’s wife, Nelly, at the couple’s Santa Barbara home. Ballonoff worked in San Luis Obispo, California Highway Patrol Officer Dave Cockrill said.

Investigator Jim Wingate of the Ventura County medical examiner’s office said funeral arrangements were pending an autopsy today.

“There have been so many accidents here it’s ridiculous,” said Robert Brunner, a 25-year Mussel Shoals resident. “I think they should put a guardrail on the intersection and not allow any crossing. It’s too crowded and too dangerous.”

Seriously injured was 21-year-old Crina Alexander Vasiliu of Los Angeles. Vasiliu was in critical condition when she went into surgery about 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to a nursing supervisor at Ventura County Medical Center.

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Ballonoff was driving a silver-colored Toyota Camry north when he lost control of the vehicle after drifting into soft dirt near the center divider, Cockrill said.

After striking a guardrail, the Camry passed through the open turnoff at the intersection and went into the southbound lanes, Cockrill said. Vasiliu was traveling south in a red Mitsubishi Precis when she broadsided the Camry.

“She had absolutely no time at all to react,” Cockrill said.

The impact crushed the Precis with such force that Vasiliu was trapped in the driver’s seat and firefighters had to cut the car’s roof off to reach her, said Ventura County Fire Department officials.

A helicopter landed on the southbound lanes to transport Vasiliu to the hospital. The northbound lanes were closed briefly while officers investigated, Cockrill said.

Ballonoff’s Camry slammed against the northbound guardrail with such impact that one of the vehicle’s hubcaps embedded in the guardrail, witnesses said. Officers don’t know what caused him to lose control.

Cockrill said both cars were traveling at about the 65-mph speed limit. Investigators concluded that Ballonoff was wearing a seat belt, but it was unclear if Vasiliu was, Cockrill said. Drugs and alcohol were not believed to be involved.

“I really believe there should be a speed reduction in this area,” said Sanford Porter, owner of the Cliff House Inn. “A 10-mph reduction might have made a difference.”

Porter’s restaurant and bar sit adjacent to the crash site and have a Pacific Coast Highway address.

He said speed reductions have been established on highway stretches in other beach communities where turnoffs are necessary.

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There have been discussions about constructing an overpass to service the Mussel Shoals and Seacliff communities or building an offramp, Porter said. So far, the state has declined to take action, he said.

“This isn’t like going to the moon. This is within our power to reduce the speed,” Porter said.

Cockrill said: “There have been other fatalities there. They are kind of spread out.”

On Nov., 21, 1997, a woman died at the same intersection, and two other fatalities occurred this year between June 19 and Aug. 1 within about a mile of the junction, Cockrill said.