2 Killed in Accidents on Ventura’s Roads

A pedestrian and a passenger in a vehicle were killed in separate accidents over the weekend, authorities said.

Victor Bennett, 54, of Ventura was struck about 9:30 a.m. Sunday by a vehicle that allegedly ran a red light at Harbor Boulevard and Spinnaker Drive, according to the Ventura Police Department.

Bennett was rushed to Ventura County Medical Center, then taken to Community Memorial Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 6:01 p.m., said Armando Chavez, a deputy county coroner.

Police said that the driver, Luis Gonzalez, 26, of Ojai, was not arrested and that the investigation is continuing.

About the same time Sunday morning, a Los Angeles woman riding in a car driven by a family member was fatally injured after a tire blew out, causing the driver to lose control and hit a palm tree on the northbound Ventura Freeway at Main Street.

Estella Rios, 52, was trapped in the vehicle for an hour before rescue workers could remove her, Chavez said. She was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m. at Community Memorial Hospital. The California Highway Patrol did not provide additional information Monday.

It was not clear whether rain was a factor in either accident, but law enforcement officials said the wet weather did play a role in several minor accidents in the county.

“We seem to have a higher number of accidents this morning,” said Sheriff’s Capt. Keith Parks. “Typically, that’s the rain. People forget to slow down. You can’t necessarily go the posted speed limit in the rain.

“We haven’t had significant rain in, what, a year?” he said. “There’s a lot of oil built up on the road, and when you get a little water it gets real slippery.

“Allow for people who are stopping quickly ahead of you,” he advised. “Drive not only defensively but with an out--keep a place you can go in case someone is sliding into your lane.

“Slow down earlier as you approach signals,” he said. “And make sure the cars coming the other way are able to stop.”

Tony Lystra is a Times Community News reporter and Margaret Talev is a Times staff writer.