Accidents Cause Minor Injuries, Snarl Traffic

Two unrelated traffic accidents on the Ventura Freeway in Oxnard snarled the morning commute Monday, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The first accident occurred about 7:45 a.m. on the southbound side of the freeway near Del Norte Boulevard. It involved a truck and two other vehicles, a CHP dispatcher said.

Minor injuries were reported but details were unavailable.

The accident was cleared in an hour.

On the northbound side of the freeway near Santa Clara Avenue, two vehicles were involved in a non-injury accident about 8 a.m.

Investigators cleared the scene 30 minutes later, according to the Highway Patrol.

In a third accident later in the morning, a Montana couple were taken to a Thousand Oaks hospital after a collision at the intersection of Hillcrest Drive and the Moorpark Freeway.

The collision occurred when a Ford Explorer heading west on Hillcrest and a Jeep Grand Cherokee heading north on a freeway connector road entered the intersection simultaneously and smashed into each other about 10:45 a.m.

Ventura County sheriff’s officials said the driver of the Explorer, Mickey Elliott, 43, of Thousand Oaks, was injured, but information on her condition was unavailable.

Meanwhile, the driver of the Jeep, Sterling Wetzsteon of Sula, Mont., 57, and his wife, Paula, 55, were taken to Columbia Los Robles Regional Medical Center.

They were treated in the emergency room and released.

The accident remained under investigation.