Author: KION

Sergio Berrueta

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) – One woman was killed in a vehicle fire after an accident on Highway 17.

According to the California Highway Patrol, an unknown woman was driving their sedan northbound on Highway 17 north of Jarvis Road before colliding with the center median.

The sedan then continued traveling before colliding with a metal guardrail on the east shoulder of Highway 17. Upon crashing, the sedan caught fire, with the driver sustaining major injuries.

She was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving procedures.

Highway 17 was closed after the vehicle fire had spread into the wildland.

According to CAL FIRE CZU, forward progress was stopped at 11:50 a.m.

The wildland fire was 50 by 50 feet, with northbound and southbound lanes closed. All lanes have since been reopened.

CHP is currently investigating the cause of the crash. It is unknown if alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash.

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jose.romo

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) — The city of Seaside is voting to move up the curfew for parking in public from 10 pm to 9 pm. Many say the decision would purposefully target the homeless. The ordinance would address issues with panhandlers on main roadways.

The City of Seaside approved the ordinance that would increase restrictions for people living in their cars or panhandling along public streets.

“We get a lot of homeless activity at our Walgreens,” Allie Spencer is one of the managers at a Seaside Walgreens and says she has noticed this issue since moving to town. “A lot of panhandlers, as you can kind of see behind me, there’s always somebody that’s over there. It makes me very sad, but at the same time, it makes me wonder what the city can actually do to fix this situation.” 

The city is amending existing ordinances. The changes would enable the cleanup of homeless camps with 72-hour notice and allow for the city to dispose of property after 60 days. 

“We see way worse at night,” Spener adds.  “When I come out at the end of my shift, regardless of what time of day it is, I always make sure to double-check different sides of the buildings because Walgreens definitely stands for safety.”

“Y cuando vengo a la tienda pues si me da miedo,” Lucila lives in Seaside and often shops at the Walgreens. She adds seeing homeless people around the building often times makes her concerned for their safety and the safety of others.

The ordinance would prohibit aggressive panhandling in street medians. However, some people in that situation say that’s the only option they have.  

“When I first started, I had a cop tell me, ‘look, I’d rather see you out here panhandling’ than, you know, robbing or stealing.” Teddy Teller says he has been living in the streets and panhandling for close to six years and has never seen anyone be hit by a moving vehicle or pose a risk for oncoming traffic. He adds that these restrictions would make it difficult for others who, like him, struggle to find a job. 

“It’s gonna put a big catch on that’s for sure. I’m going to resort to some other means. I don’t know exactly what that’s gonna be right now. I’m continuously looking for a job. I ain’t got a job yet.” 

The ordinance has now been approved by the Seaside City Council and has 30 days before it fully goes into effect. City staff and the police department hope to provide the community with the necessary resources during that time.

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Victor Guzman

RIO DEL MAR/APTOS, Calif. (KION-TV) — The CHP confirms northbound Highway 1 at Freedom Boulevard is back open after the bed of a dump truck struck an overpass in the area early Monday morning.

The CHP says the 3-axel dump truck was traveling north on Highway 1, with the bed of the truck raised around 1 a.m. on Monday.

That’s when the CHP says the bed of the truck struck the overpass, with officers at the scene saying the bed is stuck.

The CHP says crews are working to remove the dump bed, which could take an hour as of 2:45 a.m.

Cal Trans crews will then need to evaluate the integrity of the bridge.

No injuries were reported and no other vehicles were involved, according to the CHP.

Highway 1 was able to reopen by about 6:30 a.m.

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Victor Guzman

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said a man is in custody after he allegedly attacked a VTA bus driver with a knife on Wednesday morning.

Investigators said it happened near Blossom Hill Road and Hillview Avenue in San Jose around 7 a.m.

They identified the suspect as 23-year-old Darrian Lewis of San Jose.

According to deputies, Lewis was repeatedly pulling the “stop request” cord on the bus, prompting the bus driver to confront him.

Investigators said Lewis became aggressive and attacked the driver with a knife, slashing at him several times before running away.

Deputies said the driver suffered three slash wounds but is expected to be okay.

Sheriff’s Office staff were able to locate the suspect nearby and took him into custody.

Lewis is facing multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and probation violation among others.

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Jeanette Bent

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — A Salinas nonprofit is wrapping up its annual fundraiser that aims to feed local families in need.

On Wednesday, Rancho Cielo Veggie Box Fundraiser got some helping hands from Monterey Bay FC!

The team helped Rancho Cielo box-up fresh produce for their 10th annual fundraiser.

“I mean, it’s amazing because I feel like sometimes in the food industry a lot of it goes to waste,” said Adrian Rebollar, Monterey Bay FC’s midfielder. “So, to be able to gather this and be able hand it out to people who probably could make good use of [the meals], is a really good thing.”

Volunteers getting out there bright and early before 8 a.m. and loading thousands of boxes up with brussel sprouts, cabbages, strawberries and more.

Rancho Cielo says the boxes are more than just healthy food; each item is a symbol of the region’s agricultural backbone.

The players were more than happy to do their part in assembling the 1,500 veggie boxes, picked up over the past two days.

Rancho Cielo says their goal is to reach 50,000 boxes, which will reach families who need them through other local nonprofits.

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Katie Nicora

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Seaside City Council is moving forward with the ordinance after some complaints during public comment. Speakers told the chamber about their worries of infringing on the rights of homeless people, who since a 2024 supreme court decision, have been facing more aggressive enforcement, including here on the central coast. Mayor Ian Ogelsby says that despite the concerns of the community, the ordinance doesn’t take away anyone’s rights or due process.

Other people in public comment brought up their own experiences of aggressive soliciting from homeless people, something addressed by the ordinance

Original Article: The City of Seaside is considering an ordinance that aims to make public spaces safer by setting new limits for the unhoused community. 

If approved, parking any vehicle on public property for the purpose of eating, sleeping, or resting would be prohibited from 9 p.m. until to 6 a.m.

Storing personal items within 200 feet of city property would also not be allowed.

Personal items could also be removed without prior warning if they’re deemed to be a biohazard.

Additionally, aggressive and unsafe solicitation would be prohibited on street medians, at ATMs and other similar areas. 

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Jeanette Bent

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (KION-TV) — A traffic alert for anyone driving through Scotts Valley: police asking people to avoid the intersection of Mount Hermon and Scotts Valley Drive.

A tractor trailer overturned after turning right from Scotts Valley Drive onto Mount Hermon Road, spilling its load of cement.

It happened shortly after 3 p.m. and overturning right outside of the the 76 Station.

Police say all lanes of Mount Hermon Road towards Highway 17 are shut down until further notice.

We are working to learn whether anyone was hurt. 

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Briana Mathaw

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION-TV) — The City of Santa Cruz has made updates to its timeline for Santa Cruz Wharf repairs and improvements.

The city says construction on two recently approved projects starts this fall.

The Wharf Improvement Project is expected to begin in September and be completed by November.

Work will include replacing pilings, structural elements, and decking in the mid-Wharf area.

Repairs to the end of the Wharf will start in November and is expected to be finished by March 2026.

The total cost for both projects is $1.5 million.

Santa Cruz Wharf moves forward with rebuild plan

Santa Cruz, Calif (KION-TV) — A damaged section of the iconic Santa Cruz Wharf could soon be coming back.

On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz City Council approved a plan to begin rebuilding part of the wharf that collapsed during the devastating winter storms of December 2024.

The plan, one of five proposed options which aims to strike a balance between cost, public benefit, and long-term flexibility.

Out of all the proposed designs, the city went with alternative five which what it says is the most efficient and community friendly solution.

“Alternative Five actually looks to be as most efficient as possible,” David McCormick, City Development Manager said. “By building out to where it ends now, we’re basically going to square it off. That’ll provide the maximum amount of public access in the near term. And it preserves one of the key sea lion viewing holes that people love so much.”

Before the collapse, visitors went to the wharf to catch a glimpse at the sea lions hole. That experience, locals say, is something they truly miss.

“I miss seeing how many sea lions were out here and hearing them all. We missed the last few hundred feet of the wharf,” Sonie Sandeberg a Santa Cruz resident said.

The collapse happened in December, tearing off around 180 feet of the southern end of the wharf, including the Dolphin Restaurant and a restroom building. The area was already under repair.

Since then, the city has been working on how best to rebuild.

“How do we build it back in a way that allows us the most flexibility going forward, while providing the structural strength and public access that we want right away?” McCormick said.

City leaders weighed five design options, some proposed expanding public access and others focused on trimming back the damaged structure for strength.

“Some of them looked at expansions to try and provide more public access in the near term,” McCormick said. Other ones looked at cutting back some of the broken infrastructure to just kind of get it back to its strongest point.”

With Alternative 5 approved, the project now heads into the design and permitting phase.

“Our hope is that we’re at a position to break ground on this in early fall. It could be closer to winter, which wouldn’t be ideal, but the goal is to get in the ground and building by early to mid fall,” McCormick said.

Funding for the project will come from a mix of sources, including state disaster relief, insurance, and grant support from Cal OES.

The estimated cost for the rebuild is around $1 million, including construction and engineering support.

“I would say something that just kind of shows the natural beauty of the ocean and the wharf itself,” Sandeberg said.

And with rising seas and more frequent extreme weather, some worry about what lies ahead.

“It can look a little bit different in the future, because ocean waves are getting bigger, storms are getting larger. And if we’re not careful, the wharf is going to have serious new damages in the future,” Fred Muyer, a Santa Cruz resident said.

City officials say the goal is to complete this phase of the wharf rebuild by early 2026.

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Katie Nicora

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) — The City of Salinas said that a water line was punctured at Abbott and Harkins roads that has been disrupting traffic in that area.

Although there are no current road closures, the city is asking drivers to be careful when traveling through the area.

We are working to learn the cause and when the issue will be resolved.

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jose.romo

SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Calif. (KION-TV) — The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is discussing an ordinance to allow for abandoned oversized vehicles to be dismantled. This would apply to abandoned parked vehicles along unincorporated county roads.

Members of the public are now speaking out about what this would mean for people close or in close-to-home situations. 

“The problem that this ordinance update really seeks to address is the fact that our county code today doesn’t have any teeth,” said Supervisor Manu Koenig.

Supervisors chose to move forward with the ordinance with a 4-1 vote. 

“I think that really this ordinance did address, you know, what South County is facing with just abandoned vehicles,” said Supervisor Felipe Hernandez. “The question mark that all the board members had was, what happens, what’s the process for folks that actually live in their mobile home?” said Santa Cruz County Supervisor Felipe Hernandez.

After hearing from public comment and the county Sheriff’s Office, supervisors opted to bring the ordinance to a new first reading in their next meeting. They approved adding language that would ensure enforcement incidents would include notices sent via mail and posted in both English and Spanish on the involved vehicles. 

The ordinance, co-authored by Supervisor Koenig and Hernandez, states that this is a recurring issue with some vehicles in the county being cited more than 120 times. 

“We have a lot of, unfortunately, people living in their vehicles. And if we take away their last home, they’re going to be out on the streets. It’s not solution-based.” Alicia Khul added that she was formally unhoused and lived in her RV. During that time, she mentions her RV was wrongfully labeled as abandoned multiple times. 

“The concerns are valid. The problem is the way that they are going about dealing with it,” Khul adds. “If we contribute to street-level homelessness, we’re not helping anybody. and that’s what this ordinance will do.” 

The Sheriff’s Office adding this ordinance would be helpful for their enforcement and also to provide resources to those in need. They say that some people often ignore deputies’ attempts to help. The sheriff’s office says fines for impoundment often have to be covered by their office, as many vehicles have their VIN removed, or owners are unresponsive.

The Sheriff’s Office adds that at this point, 10 to 12 abandoned vehicles would be impacted by the ordinance. The Board of Supervisors will hear from local homeless advocacy groups in their upcoming meeting on September 9th.

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