Storm Blamed for Fatal Crash and Mudslides

A slow-moving Pacific storm that contributed to a fatal car accident and caused minor mudslides and traffic tie-ups Friday is expected to hover over Ventura County throughout the weekend, producing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms, forecasters said.

During a 30-minute period Friday afternoon, the California Highway Patrol reported half a dozen traffic accidents in the Ventura County area, including an accident that killed two people near Bates Road just north of the county line.

Two died and four others were critically injured when three cars were involved in a head-on crash on the southbound Ventura Freeway at about 3 p.m., the CHP said. One of the cars hydroplaned, jumped the center divider and crashed into oncoming traffic, the CHP said.

One of the dead was identified as Jonathan Jenkins, 32, a resident of England, the CHP said. The identity of the other person killed, a Santa Barbara resident, was not released.

The four survivors, whose identities were not available late Friday, were all in critical condition at St. Francis Medical Center in Santa Barbara, authorities said.

Southbound lanes of the freeway were closed and traffic rerouted to California 150 for several hours, the CHP said.

Caltrans workers responded to mudslides at three locations on the Pacific Coast Highway, but kept the road open.

Organizers of the Ventura Police Department’s Block Party and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Cinco de Mayo festival in Oxnard said today’s events will proceed as scheduled.

County Rainfall

Here are rainfall figures from the Ventura County Flood Control District for the 24-hour period ending 5 p.m. Friday. Oct. 1 is the beginning of the official rain year.

Rainfall Rainfall Normal rainfall Location last 24 hours since Oct. 1 to date Camarillo 0.63 10.55 12.79 Casitas Dam 0.08 15.38 22.65 El Rio 0.12 10.91 14.57 Fillmore 0.24 11.57 18.11 Moorpark 0.28 10.28 14.23 Ojai 0.04 12.34 20.69 Upper Ojai 0.08 14.27 22.78 Oxnard 0.31 10.47 14.10 Piru 0.08 9.73 16.64 Santa Paula 0.04 12.87 16.94 Simi Valley 0.28 11.68 13.92 Thousand Oaks 0.04 9.45 14.92 Ventura Govt. Center 0.16 11.12 015.52