The California Highway Patrol responded to two separate fatal crashes the afternoon of June 27 on northbound Highway 101 in the Conejo Valley.
The first crash was reported around 1:40 p.m. near Lynn Road in Thousand Oaks, said CHP Officer Ryan Ayers. The driver, a 68-year-old Newbury Park man, is believed to have had a medical emergency, Ayers said.
The driver first exited at the Lynn Road offramp, drove across Lynn Road and back onto the freeway, according to Ayers. Upon his return to Highway 101, the man veered off the road, onto the shoulder and down an embankment. He struck a sign and two trees in the process, the CHP officer said.
The Ventura County Fire Department responded to the crash and declared the man dead at the scene, according to Ayers. Neither alcohol nor drugs was believed a factor in the crash. Ayers said the man had a recent history of medical problems.
The second crash happened around 4:30 p.m. adjacent to the Conejo Scales in Newbury Park.
A 22-year-old man from Oxnard died after crashing his car into a parked semitrailer, Ayers said.
For unknown reasons, the Oxnard man drove along the shoulder and collided with the back of the semi. He was also pronounced dead at the scene by Ventura County Fire, the CHP officer said.
Ayers said it was not yet known whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the second crash.
Although most lanes were open during the response to both crashes, traffic on northbound Highway 101 slowed well into the evening as a result, the CHP officer said.
Stacie N. Galang is news director of the Ventura County Star. She can be reached at 805-437-0222 or stacie.galang@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Crashes on northbound Highway 101 in Conejo Valley leave 2 dead
Reporting by Stacie N. Galang, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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By Stacie N. Galang, Ventura County Star | USA TODAY Network
