Santa Barbara Supervisors Hold Moment of Silence for Dos Pueblos Students Killed in Car Crash
John Palminteri
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors held a moment of silence for three teens who were killed in a head-on car crash Sunday evening.
The county says the teens were employees in the junior lifeguard program and had spent the day at Jalama Beach. The crash occurred on Highway 1, the road that connects back to Highway 101 and Goleta.
All three were students at Dos Pueblos High School.
They have been identified as 18-year-old Jake Curtis of Goleta, 17-year-old Michael Ochsner, and 15-year-old Alexander Wood, both of Santa Barbara.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the crash happened when the teens, driving a 2007 Toyota Yaris southbound, veered into oncoming traffic and hit a 2024 Tesla Model 3 head-on. The impact was so strong, it pushed the Tesla into two other cars traveling south — a 2012 Audi Q5 and a 2002 Honda Accord.
Tragically, all three teens inside the Toyota were pronounced dead at the scene. The two people in the Tesla — a 54-year-old driver and a 53-year-old passenger from Lompoc — were rushed to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital with major injuries. CHP says the drivers of the Audi and the Honda had only minor injuries.
Supervisor Joan Hartmann said, “This tragedy has shaken our entire community, and our hearts go out to the families, friends, and co-workers. The whole county mourns with you.”
Dos Pueblos High School has encouraged any students or staff in need of support to visit the Wellness Center at any time throughout the week for counseling services.