A Grover Beach man was killed Monday afternoon after his pickup drifted off southbound Highway 101 and smashed into the trunk of a pepper tree, igniting a fire that engulfed the truck and spread through nearby brush.
David A. Neal, 56, the sole occupant of the 1976 Chevrolet pickup, was killed on impact and pinned inside, according to the CHP.
Lt. Dennis Martinez said two witnesses told the CHP that the pickup appeared to drift off the road south of Higuera Street from the freeway's slow lane around 4:30 p.m.
CHP investigators determined Neal was traveling at 60 to 65 mph, but officers marking the scene did not find any evidence that suggested the driver braked. Neal drove into the tree at close to full speed, according to a CHP report released late Monday.
The fire that followed blackened a small patch of grass beside the road before firefighters from three CDF/County Fire engines doused the flames. A passer-by had attempted to extinguish the fire.
Smoke rising from the truck also obscured visibility for freeway drivers in both directions.
Martinez commented that it was fortunate the wind pushed the fire away from the road -- had it blown toward the highway, he said, southbound traffic would have been backed up far worse than it was.
The freeway's slow lane was closed while Highway Patrol officers directed traffic and firefighters dragged hoses into the brush.
By 5:18 p.m., about 45 minutes after the accident happened, both lanes had been reopened.
