Motorcyclist killed in crash on Highway 150 west of Lake Casitas
A 38-year-old Santa Barbara man was killed in a motorcycle crash on Highway 150 west of Lake Casitas Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
The two-vehicle accident was reported around 2:35 p.m. on the state route, also known as Casitas Pass, on a rural stretch between Lake Casitas and Carpinteria where the highway winds through ranch properties.
The rider, identified Wednesday as Nicholas Ryan Cooper, had been heading eastbound on a 2012 Kawasaki Ninja, according to the California Highway Patrol.
A 30-year-old Carpinteria woman was driving westbound in a 2022 Mazda CX-9 SUV.
Cooper, for reasons still under investigation, crossed over solid double-yellow lines into oncoming traffic as he approached a turn west of Rameli Ranch, according to Officer Vince Rangel of the CHP's Ventura-area office.
The collision between the motorcycle and SUV resulted in a "catastrophic crash," according to the CHP.
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Cooper was initially transported by ambulance to the chlorination plant along Highway 150, where a Ventura County helicopter crew airlifted him to Ventura County Medical Center, Rangel said. He later died at the hospital.
The incident closed lanes for a time.
The SUV driver suffered minor injuries, described as cuts to her feet, the CHP reported.
No arrests were made.
As of Wednesday, CHP investigators didn't yet know whether alcohol or drugs were a factor, the agency reported. It wasn't immediately clear whether speed was a factor. A team was at the accident site Wednesday continuing the investigation, Rangel said.
This story may be updated if new information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Motorcyclist from Santa Barbara dies after crash on Highway 150
